Yankees acquisition from Boston is top trade possibility

Jon Conahan

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Yankees player they landed in deal with Red Sox named most likely trade candidate image

TL;DR

  • New York Yankees have top-tier minor league pitching talent, making them prime trade candidates.
  • Elmer Rodriguez, with a 2.58 ERA in High-A and Triple-A, is a top trade target for the Yankees.
  • Yankees have six starters signed through 2028, making trading a pitcher almost certain this winter.
  • The Yankees are expected to acquire a high-caliber starter and a Cy Young winner.

Across Major League Baseball, several clubs appear well-positioned to pursue trades, leveraging the pitching talent within their minor league organizations. 

Regarding the New York Yankees, they are undoubtedly among them, given the compelling case that the Yankees possess arguably the finest pitching in baseball within the upper echelons of the minor leagues. 

Among the options they could look to move on from, Elmer Rodriguez is at the top of that list. 

In his brief tenure with The Yankees, spanning just a couple of months, Rodriguez has demonstrated he possesses a highly effective pitching arm. His 2.58 ERA across High-A and Triple-A in 2025 is a significant factor in Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller identifying him as a prime trade target for The Yankees this offseason. 

Gerrit Cole probably won't be ready for Opening Day, but he's expected back before Memorial Day, possibly displacing Will Warren from a rotation that already includes Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil, and Cam Schlittler.

“The specifics on that front remain to be sorted out, but the moral of the story is the Yankees have six starters signed through at least 2028 and a farm system that is almost too top-heavy with pitchers. Moving one of those prospects this winter is a near-certainty,” he wrote.

Yankees need pitching

It’d make sense if the Yankees go out and land a high-caliber starter this winter. 

In order for them to do that, they'll have to give up a few decent prospects. The former Red Sox fourth-rounder of the 2021 MLB draft could be one of them who gets dealt.

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Editorial Team