New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman made it clear that if he could add a starting pitcher before the trade deadline passes, he will.
The Yankees lost Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt to Tommy John surgery, and Luis Gil has yet to make his season debut after being out with a lat strain. Gil is expected back in the rotation soon, but it’s unclear how he’ll look after not pitching in the big leagues in nearly a year.
“We’ve lost three starters out of our World Series rotation so far this year,” Cashman said earlier this month. “I definitely will look to see if I can find a starter, despite getting some real quality starts from others who have stepped up, like Will Warren and others, and now Cam (Schlittler) is in. He’s earned the right to be here, which is exciting to see. But, certainly, you would love to import a starter.”
As mentioned in our first trade deadline big board, which focused on hitters the Yankees could acquire: The club tends to trade from its Rule 5 draft-eligible prospects, of which there are several notable names including Rafael Flores, Spencer Jones, Jace Avina, Brendan Beck, Chase Hampton, Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, Cam Schlittler, Henry Lalane and Brock Selvidge. If the Yankees make trades, do not be surprised if some of those players get dealt. Other prospects who could interest clubs include Carlos Lagrange, Bryce Cunningham, Ben Hess, Griffin Herring and Allen Facundo.
Here are six names to watch over the next eight days.
(Note: Salary and contract details are listed in parentheses after each hitter.)
1. Seth Lugo, RHP, Kansas City Royals
($15 million in 2025; player option in 2026)
Since becoming a full-time starter in 2023, Lugo’s 3.17 ERA is 10th-best among all qualified starters. The nine ahead of him are considered some of the very best in the sport. Lugo finished second in the American League Cy Young Award voting last year behind Tarik Skubal, but he likely won’t be a top-five finisher this year even with a sub-3.00 ERA.
Lugo’s under-the-hood metrics are down from last year, but he’s still delivering consistent results for a disappointing Kansas City Royals team that should look to trade him. Lugo having a $15 million player option for 2026 could complicate those matters, especially with regards to how much the price would be to land him.
Seth Lugo, 3355 RPM Curveball. 🌪️ pic.twitter.com/LStJBOEMqi
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 10, 2025
Lugo is one of the more fascinating pitchers in the sport because of his nine-pitch arsenal. The Yankees’ pitching department excels in telling pitchers to only throw their best pitches, so it’s possible if the club were to acquire him that he wouldn’t be throwing as many pitches.
2. Mitch Keller, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
($15.4 million in 2025; $15.4 million annually in 2026-2028)
Some fans may scoff at the record (3-10) and think the Yankees brought in a bum, but Keller is a good pitcher who is playing for a terrible organization. Even Paul Skenes has a losing record, and he may win the National League Cy Young Award this season.
Much like Max Fried, Keller pitches to contact and doesn’t generate as many whiffs as a club would want. But there’s reason to believe that in a better pitching development organization, his slider and sweeper, in particular, could become even more effective at generating whiffs. Carlos Rodón has been the beneficiary of this kind of development this season, and now his slider is back to being a top putaway pitch.
The Yankees will also need to fill their rotation in 2026, as Cole may miss at least half of the season and Schmidt will likely miss the entire year. Marcus Stroman is a free agent, and Keller’s contract is reasonable for a No. 3/4 starter. If the Yankees could get Keller in a package that includes third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, it could solve two of the club’s issues in one move.
3. Merrill Kelly, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
($6 million in 2025; free agent at season’s end)
Kelly is a soft-tosser at this stage of his career; his average fastball velocity is among the 10 lowest in the sport, but the 36-year-old has delivered great results for the Diamondbacks. Kelly is above average in strikeout rate and ground-ball rate, two categories the Yankees pay close attention to when evaluating pitchers.
His best pitch is his changeup, a pitch the Yankees have focused on as an organization this year. There’s a clear path to envisioning Kelly starting playoff games for the Yankees if they were to acquire him.
4. Edward Cabrera, RHP, Miami Marlins
($1.95 million in 2025; arbitration 2-4 in 2026-2028)
The Marlins appear to be headed in the right direction, so it may be unlikely that they trade Cabrera, who’s under club control for three more seasons. But if they do, the Yankees should be interested in the 27-year-old right-hander.
Cabrera’s fastball sits at 97 mph, one of the fastest among all starting pitchers, and the Yankees lack flame-throwers. But it’s the pitch he uses the least. His changeup and curveball are his two most-used pitches, and both have been elite this season. Hitters have an under .300 wOBA against his changeup and curveball, while his slider, his fourth-most-used pitch, has shown signs of being as elite.
5. Zac Gallen, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
($13.5 million in 2025; free agent at season’s end)
Gallen is having a terrible year at the worst possible time: before he hits free agency. All of his metrics have been concerning this year, especially his hard-hit rate and average exit velocity. Hitters are teeing off against Gallen.
Adding him would be a risk, but he has a lengthy track record of being one of the game’s better pitchers. Earlier this season in the Bronx, the Diamondbacks righty struck out a career-high 13 and looked unhittable. But his season has gone downhill since then.
The Yankees would have to trust that they can quickly build him back into a top-flight pitcher.
6. Charlie Morton, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
($15 million in 2025; free agent at season’s end)
Before giving up seven earned runs in his last outing, Morton had an eight-game stretch with a 2.76 ERA and 2.85 FIP. His early season results were disastrous, and it looked like the end of the line was near for the 41-year-old. But there have been signs that he might have some gas left.
He shouldn’t be the Yankees’ first choice, but as a back-end rotation arm who likely won’t cost much in prospect capital, they could do worse.
(Photo of Seth Lugo: Nic Antaya / Getty Images)
