The New York Yankees lost Luis Gil to an injury a few weeks ago. Gil will be sidelined for at least a month with a strained lat. Now, Gerrit Cole is set to undergo further testing on a sore elbow, and the initial rumors paint a bleak picture for the Yankees.
If New York receives bad news and sees Cole sidelined for a lengthy period of time, it may need to swing a blockbuster trade to replace his spot in the rotation.
Dayn Perry of CBS Sports recently linked the Yankees to a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals that would send Erick Fedde to the Bronx as a Cole replacement.
“A somewhat more modest target might be Cardinals right-hander Erick Fedde,” Perry wrote. “Fedde, who turns 32 on Tuesday, rebuilt his career during a 2023 stint in Korea. He returned stateside to the White Sox last season, and before and after his deadline trade to St. Louis, worked 177 ⅓ combined innings with a 126 ERA+, a 3.86 FIP, and a WAR of 5.6.
“Also appealing is the fact that Fedde is owed just $7.5 million for the upcoming season in advance of his return to free agency. That price tag would probably be appealing to Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner, who remains unwilling to use the full power of his club’s vast resources.”
The Yankees could very well be in the market for a starter, and Fedde makes a lot of sense.
Acquiring the Cardinals righty wouldn’t tie New York into a long-term deal. It would allow the Yankees to use the veteran as a rental until Cole or Gil returns from injury.
Acquiring Fedde would also be much cheaper than any of the pitchers better than him on the market. The cost to bring in Luis Castillo or Dylan Cease may be too much for the Bronx Bombers, while Fedde is potentially in the price range.
More MLB: Blockbuster Trade Idea Would Send $56 Million Cy Young Winner To Desperate Braves
Read the full article here
