The New York Yankees have been hit with more devastating injury news. ESPN’s Jeff Passan revealed that Gerrit Cole will undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday, keeping him from pitching in 2025.
Cole was a key player in the Yankees’ run to the World Series last season. He is a six-time All-Star, Cy Young Award winner and two-time ERA champion. The Yankees expected him to be the team’s ace and lead their rotation. With Luis Gil also injured, the Yankees are suddenly in need of a starter, with opening day less than three weeks away.
TAMPA, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 28: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees reacts after a strike out in the first inning during a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 28, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.
Brandon Sloter/Getty Images
FanSided’s Zach Pressnell proposed this “emergency” trade that would bring Dylan Cease from the San Diego Padres to the Bronx:
- Yankees receive: right-handed pitcher Dylan Cease
- Padres receive: outfielder Spencer Jones, right-handed pitcher Bryce Cunningham and left-handed pitcher Brock Selvidge
Pressnell called Cease a “legitimate ace” who could step in to fill the void left by Cole. Cease will be a free agent after the season and Spotrac projects him to earn a five-year, $108 million deal in free agency. He was rumored to be a trade candidate as the Padres may not want to pay him after the season.
He finished as the runner-up in the American League Cy Young Award voting in 2022. He finished fourth in the National League voting last season. He has a 3.40 ERA in the last three seasons and has made 30-plus starts in four consecutive seasons.
Cole is going to be tough to replace, but a player like Cease could give the Yankees a reliable front-end starter. Cease could join Max Fried and Gil, when healthy, to help lead the Yankees back to the World Series.
More MLB: Yankees’ Gerrit Cole to Undergo Tommy John Surgery, Ending His Season
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