New York Yankees Trade Feels Inevitable After Latest Move

The New York Yankees acquired Ryan Weathers in a trade with the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night in a deal that felt rather underwhelming given the circumstances.

Fans were expecting a blockbuster trade for Freddy Peralta or at least MacKenzie Gore. Instead, the Yankees landed a pitcher who has been ravaged by injuries and has yet to throw 100 innings in a single season since entering the big leagues in 2021.

But now that New York has nabbed Weathers, the team is probably set on starting pitchers for 2026. The problem is that it has become a logjam.

Yes, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon are slated to miss the beginning of 2026, so Weathers will slot in the rotation rather than someone like Ryan Yarbrough to start the season. But what happens once Cole and Rodon return?

Cole, Rodon, Max Fried and Cam Schlittler are all guaranteed spots in the starting five. Weathers, Luis Gil and Will Warren would then battle it out for the final slot in the rotation.

So the Yankees now have seven capable starters, and three of them will be vying for one spot. Another trade has to be coming, right?

You can never have enough pitching depth. That much is true. Too many arms is a good problem to have. But you also can't just sit around with a surplus of a bunch of major-league starters on the roster when you could trade out of that luxury and land a player at an area of need.

It's entirely possible that Cole — who hasn't made a start since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series due to Tommy John surgery — won't ever be the same again, and we really don't know how he will look once he returns at some point next spring (probably around June).

For that reason, it's nice to have an extra arm, but do the Yanks really need more than one of them?

I suppose that one of Gil or Warren could be moved to the bullpen, but that's tough because Gil's command issues are well documented, and Warren made 33 starts in 2025. You would also subvert Warren's value by converting him into a reliever.

Let me be clear: I am not necessarily saying the Yankees will trade one of their hurlers between now and the start of the season. They need all of these guys at the moment. But a midseason deal would not surprise me. In fact, I would be surprised if one doesn't manifest.

Perhaps Gil could rebuild his value with a stronger (and healthier) 2026, and maybe Warren will continue to blossom. The hope is that neither tanks their trade value before July. Heck, maybe New York will flip Weathers? Who knows.

A trade seems inevitable, though. It just seems highly unlikely that the Yankees will continue with that many starting pitchers on their squad.