YANKEES ALREADY HAVE STARTING PITCHING PROBLEMS FOR NEXT SEASON!

We may not be strategizing for the World Series, but the Yankees brain trust already has a problem to solve in the offseason. Since the Yankees have a real problem exercising their smarts sometimes (I'm being generous) they better get started now.

The 2026 starting rotation already has too much uncertainty. There are still unknowns with Gerrit Cole's timeline for a return. He's set to start throwing off a mound this week and if all goes well he should be back around May. There's even more uncertainty with Clarke Schmidt who had Tommy John surgery back in July. He could be back late in the year, but that is still a big if. That could be around August of next season. That's a lot of uncertainty to have, even before the latest news with Carlos Rodon. 

Rodon underwent an elbow scope Wednesday to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur. He will be shut down for the next eight weeks and will also miss the first few weeks of the regular season. That's three starters starting the season on the Injured List at minimum. Now the Yankees need more depth.

The Yankees need a veteran starter with experience, so they are looking for the 2026 Carlos Carrasco but one with better results in the regular season. Not just the guy that pitches well in Spring Training to get the gig and then fall flat. HERE is the free agent list, it's a lengthy one and if I am being honest, the starting pitchers don't have me jumping out of my seat.

But, neither did Carrasco or Marcus Stroman this season, and they didn't single handedly bring us down. The Yankees need depth, they need someone serviceable to get us through the first few weeks while Cole and Rodon ramp up. Two names that I keep seeing in the rumor mill are Merrill Kelly and Chris Bassitt and while I am not loving either option, I must admit the idea of adding depth to the Yankees while making the Blue Jays weaker doesn't suck right now. They could be the new Carrasco but...there's another interesting option.

There is a real strategic option with a guy like Nick Martinez. The Reds have used him as both a starter and reliever this season with 20 of his 40 appearances as a starter. His 4.45 ERA doesn't look pretty but he had better success in a reliever role. He could help some stability while our starters are out but be a reliable arm out of the bullpen also, which the Yankees need. His 2.87 career ERA as a reliever is what should intrigue the Yankees the most.

The Yankees need to add some arms because right now the start of 2026 is already in jeopardy....in October. The Yankees brain trust needs to find an answer to this that the analytic geek in the front office isn't capable of fixing. They have a long time to start fixing it but they better get started now.....

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

WILL THE YANKEES & DIAMONDBACKS MAKE A NICE TRADE SWAP?

The MLB trade deadline is approaching — also known as the time of year when Brian Cashman emerges from his executive cave, squints into the sunlight, and assures Yankees fans yet again that he's "aware" the team needs help. And then, just as predictably, he’ll pull the same rabbit out of his hat: a shrug, a waiver claim, and a well-rehearsed line — “It was hard to make moves, there wasn’t a lot out there.” Sound familiar? He claims he's gonna go to town, but will he?

Look, Yankee fans know the game. We’ve heard this one before. But this year, the stakes feel a little different. The infield is a mess, the offense is sputtering, and the urgency is downright palpable. Which brings us to one name that keeps popping up like a whack-a-mole at Yankee Stadium: Eugenio Suárez.

 
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees have officially inquired about the Diamondbacks' third baseman. Suárez, who’s got pop, veteran presence, and just enough contract flexibility to not scare off Cashman’s risk-averse heart, makes a lot of sense. He'd instantly be one of the more dangerous bats in the Yankees infield — which, let's face it, is currently being held together by tape, hope, and a prayer.

But as usual, there’s a hitch: Arizona is still “undecided” on whether they even want to deal him. Less than two weeks out from the deadline and they're sitting on the fence like it's a luxury suite.

Now, Suárez isn’t the only desert dweller the Yankees have their eye on. Reports are the Yankees also sent scouts to watch Diamondbacks starters Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Gallen is particularly intriguing, especially since he's pitching like a man who forgot how to pitch — sporting a 5.40 ERA and a 22.2% strikeout rate this season. That could mean he’s available at a discount, which practically has Cashman foaming at the mouth.

In case the Suárez deal fizzles (which we know is very possible because: Cashman), the Yankees have also reportedly checked in on Ke’Bryan Hayes of the Pirates. Great glove, can’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. Hayes would be the defensive upgrade, sure, but at the plate? Let’s just say, if strikeouts were base hits, he’d be batting .400. I don't think that helps us.

Now here’s where things get dicey. Everyone knows the Yankees need to do something. But desperation makes people do stupid things — like trade away their top young talent. If the Yankees decide to go full panic mode and send George Lombard Jr. or Spencer Jones packing just to land a guy on an expiring deal, then we’ve learned nothing from the past ten years. That’s the kind of short-sighted move that haunts franchises.

Bottom line: the Yankees are at a crossroads. The roster needs a spark. The front office needs a wake-up call. And the fanbase? We just need Brian Cashman to do something meaningful for once — before the deadline, not after the excuses roll in.

Tick tock, Brian. Tick. Tock.

CARLOS CARRASCO & HIS "BIG CHANCE"

Carlos Carrasco knows exactly what this moment means. The veteran right-hander isn’t just taking the mound for the Yankees—he’s seizing a golden chance to prove he’s still got it.

“This is a big chance for me...“I just have to go out there and pitch the same way I did in spring training. Compete every pitch, every out and inning, and go from there.”

That’s the mindset of a guy who’s been through it all—injuries, struggles, even a battle with cancer. And yet, here he is, gearing up for his first start in pinstripes and his second appearance overall since inking a minor league deal and turning heads in spring training (1-0, 1.69 ERA). Sure, his lone relief outing this season was a forgettable one (13.50 ERA), but Carrasco is built for comebacks. After a rough 2023 with Cleveland (3-10, 5.64 ERA), he’s looking to bounce back in a big way. This is a guy who won the Roberto Clemente Award and AL Comeback Player of the Year in 2019 after returning from a midseason cancer diagnosis. Adversity? He eats it for breakfast.

And now, he’s up against Merrill Kelly (1-0, 1.69 ERA) in today's series finale as the Yankees try to avoid a sweep in Arizona. No pressure, right?

Of course, Carrasco isn’t the only one stepping into the spotlight. With Gerrit Cole sidelined, the Yankees are relying on Carrasco and rookie Will Warren to help hold the rotation together. As Empire Sports Media put it:

"Instead of Cole vs. an opposing ace, it’s now Will Warren and 38-year-old Carlos Carrasco being tossed into the fire. Warren has shown flashes of potential, but he’s also a rookie getting his first taste of early-season big-league pressure. That learning curve is steep, especially against elite offenses. He struggled considerably in a small sample in 2024."

Look, nobody said this was going to be easy. But opportunity doesn’t knock—it kicks the door down, and Carrasco and Warren have a chance to prove they belong.

BURNES TO PITCH IN THE DESERT!

Stop the presses and cue the mariachi band—Corbin Burnes is taking his flamethrower to the Valley of the Sun! In a deal reportedly worth six years and a cool $210 million, the Diamondbacks have lured the biggest fish (or should we say snake?) in this year’s free-agent pitching market. And because no blockbuster is complete without a twist, Burnes gets an opt-out after the 2026 season. Talk about keeping things spicy.

Burnes, a 30-year-old right-hander with Cy Young-level skills and a resume that makes scouts drool, is poised to supercharge an already impressive D-backs rotation. Here’s what Burnes has been up to: Last season, he was lighting up the mound for the Orioles, going 15-9 with a razor-sharp 2.92 ERA. Over 32 starts, he clocked 181 strikeouts in 194 1/3 innings. Oh, and he earned his fourth straight All-Star nod and started the Midsummer Classic for the AL. Not too shabby, right?

Now, I have to confess—when I played armchair GM, I had Burnes landing with the Giants. Why? Because every "baseball insider" under the sun swore it was happening... the Giants or the Dodgers they would say. Spoiler alert: they were wrong. Seriously, how do they keep that baseball insider title? Instead, Burnes is packing his bags for Arizona, proving once again that this sport loves to keep us guessing.

For Burnes, it’s not just about baseball—it’s about coming home. As an Arizona resident, he’ll be pitching in his own backyard, and he’s joining a rotation that’s already stacked. Picture this: Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez. Add Corbin Burnes. Nice.

The New York Post was the first to report this deal, pending the usual physical. Assuming all goes well, the D-backs are about to unleash the ultimate desert storm, and Burnes is the eye of the hurricane.

Nice snag Diamondbacks! Game on, Arizona. Game on.