The number-one target for the New York Yankees at the 2025 trade deadline is clearly a starting pitcher. The only question at this point is who.
All season, the Yankees' rotation has been two starters short of excellence. Max Fried has done a phenomenal job taking over for Gerrit Cole in the ace role, but only Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt are healthy and guaranteed rotation spots behind him.
Though there are still two months until the trade deadline, it's not too early for the Yankees to start considering their options in what looks to be a relatively thin market. It's an all-in season for this club, so they're going to be setting their sights on as big a star as possible.
One baseball writer believes it's possible the Yankees could land a two-time All-Star from one of their most hated rivals.
Earlier this week, Sam Bernardi of Heavy pitched a hypothetical trade that would send Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez to the Yankees for outfield prospect Everson Pereira and right-handed pitching prospect Clayton Beeter.
"This is a lot to ask for a rental, but Valdez would form a formidable southpaw trio with Fried and Rodón atop this rotation," Bernardi wrote.
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"At 31-years-old, Valdez is going to command a large payday this offseason, a cause for concern among New York fans. However, Aaron Judge is not getting any younger and the front office should do everything in its power to capitalize on his historic pace while he is still in his prime."
The Yankees should certainly be in play for Valdez, assuming the Astros enter sale mode, which is nowhere near a guarantee. The 31-year-old is about to hit free agency and is projected for a $70 million contract by Spotrac, which could wind up an underestimate.
However, it's hard to imagine that if the Astros do make Valdez available, another team wouldn't have a package to offer that tops Pereira and Beeter, which is no shot at those two intriguing prospects.
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