Gerrit Cole injury might force Brian Cashman to atone for Juan Soto mistake
The New York Yankees are facing a very concerning problem with their starting rotation as the 2025 season is set to begin. Earlier this offseason, Luis Gil was shut down for at least a month with a lat strain. Recently, the team’s ace, Gerrit Cole, was sent in for further testing on the soreness in his throwing elbow.
The situation appears bleak for the Bronx Bombers and many around baseball are speculating that the Yankees may need to add another starting pitcher before the season begins. There are a few options on the trade market for the Yankees to look into, but there’s one pitcher who stands out above the rest. It’s the perfect chance for Brian Cashman to atone for his Juan Soto mistake last offseason.
The Yankees could reunite with Michael King amid Gerrit Cole injury concerns
Dayn Perry of CBS Sports recently linked the Yankees to old friend Michael King of the San Diego Padres as a potential Cole replacement.
“Old friend alert. The Padres acquired King from these same Yankees as part of the December 2023 Soto blockbuster. King fared remarkably well in his first season as a full-time starter last year,” Perry wrote. “In 173.2 frames, he put up 2.95 ERA/3.33 FIP with 201 strikeouts and earned a seventh-place finish in the NL Cy Young vote. Like Cease, he’s eligible for free agency at the end of the upcoming season. Also like Cease, his availability assumes the Padres are still looking to shed payroll. “
The Yankees traded King to the Padres as a key piece of the Soto deal that brought the superstar to the Bronx last offseason. But Soto would spend just one year in pinstripes before he bolted for a deal with the New York Mets. That’s left the Yankees looking like they got the poorer end of the deal, but Cashman could potnetially right one of his wrongs by bringing King back to New York.
The righty threw 173.2 innings in 30 starts last season. In that time, he held a 2.95 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and finished seventh in the National League Cy Young voting. King was an incredibly important part of San Diego’s success in 2024, but as he likely heads to free agency at the end of the 2025 season, the Padres are reportedly looking to trade him amid financial uncertainty stemming from the team’s ownership dispute.
