The New York Yankees currently lead the American League East with a 10-7 record through their first 17 games. They won the division last year with 94 wins and cruised to the World Series.
However, it’s never too early to start thinking about the future. New York has some issues with its starting rotation, and some of them won’t be fixed until 2026 when Gerrit Cole makes his eventual return from Tommy John surgery.
Next offseason, right-hander and All-Star Zac Gallen will be a free agent. Aaliyan Mohammed of Newsweek proposed the idea of New York signing him over the winter.
“The Diamondbacks just recently gave Corbin Burnes a lucrative contract and may not be able to keep Gallen around. He could be a great addition next to Gerrit Cole. A rotation led by Cole, Gallen and Luis Gil could be critical in the Yankees’ quest for their first World Series title since 2009,” Mohammed writes.
With Cole still recovering from Tommy John surgery and expected to miss part of 2026, the Yankees will need somebody to go next to Luis Gil and Max Fried.
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Gallen is off to a bit of rough start this year, as he is 1-2 with a 4.64 ERA in his first four starts. Last year, he won 14 games and posted a 3.65 ERA in 28 starts.
If he can remain healthy in 2025, he is somebody that could draw a ton of interest in the offseason, especially from the Yankees, who will need an arm.
And when Cole gets healthy, the Yankees could have four legitimate ace-caliber starters. Having Cole, Fried, Gil and Gallen in the same rotation could make them a serious threat to make a World Series run in 2026.
It will be interesting to see how Gallen performs in 2025 and if the Yankees will give him a look in the offseason.
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