The New York Yankees probably won't change their MLB trade deadline strategy a whole lot even if Max Fried is sidelined for an extended period of time.
The New York Yankees entered the season missing both Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole in their starting rotation. Rodon was recovering from an elbow cleanout, and Cole was still working his way back from Tommy John surgery.
Well, Rodon is now back in the fold, and Cole will likely be back sometime around the beginning of June. But naturally, with the Yankees' pitching staff nearing full strength, Max Fried exited the team's Wednesday afternoon loss to the Baltimore Orioles due to elbow soreness.
Fried, who underwent Tommy John surgery of his own back in 2014, doesn't seem to think it will have long-term ramifications. He called it a hyperextension of his elbow and even said he hopes to make his next start.
In terms of Fried being available for his very next outing, well, New York probably won't allow that regardless of whether or not the injury is severe. But the fact that he seems s confident is a good sign.
Fried will be going for imaging today, so we will likely know the full extent of his injury soon, but in the event that the left-hander is forced to miss an extended period of time, what will the Yankees do?
New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried. Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.Will they pursue another starting pitcher between now and the trade deadline? Or will they just move forward as currently constructed?
The good news is that New York wouldn't really have to acquire another starter if Fried ends up sidelined. Remember: one of Will Warren or Ryan Weathers were going to be moved to the bullpen once Cole returned anyway, because the Yanks would then have six arms in their starting rotation.
So if Fried is out, the Yankees would merely roll with a five that consists of Cole, Rodon, Cam Schlittler, Warren and Weathers. That certainly isn't bad. In fact, it would be one of the league's better rotations assuming that both Cole and Rodon are right.
Now, the one thing a potential Fried absence will do is make New York more likely to add multiple relievers before Aug. 3. It's clear that the Yankees are in need of bullpen help, but having Warren or Weathers in the pen would represent a huge boost.
If both pitchers ultimately stay in New York's rotation, then the Yanks might have to aggressively chase a couple of high-level relief pitchers via trade given how shaky their bullpen has been thus far in 2026.
We still don't know for sure how long Fried will be on the shelf, but in the event that the worst-case scenario surfaces, it wouldn't be the complete end of the world for the Yankees.
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