With the news that starting pitcher Frankie Montas will miss the first month of the regular season for the New York Yankees, one insider believes the team may still be planning to make a trade to boost its starting pitching depth before Opening Day.
New York Yankees rumors: A trade for starting pitching coming soon?
According to Joel Sherman in this article for The New York Post, with Montas scheduled to miss time at the start of the season because of shoulder issues and the Yankees using its starting pitching depth to make trades over the past couple of seasons, including arms sent to the Oakland A’s in exchange for Montas, a trade could be coming. Sherman writes it is “more likely than not that the Yankees will make a trade between now and Opening Day to decrease their infield glut and perhaps find more rotation protection.”
Part of that infield glut could include Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Josh Donaldson, although trading Donaldson will be a tough task as the Yankees are on the hook for $21 million in 2023 as part of his four-year, $92 million deal that will expire at the end of this season (with a $6 million mutual option in place for the 2024 campaign).
Making a trade before Opening Day will require the Yankees to kick the process into high gear, especially to find starting pitching depth, something that every team values. However, the Yankees will likely not be looking for front-line pitching as the rotation will be led to open the season by Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Nestor Cortes Jr., and Luis Severino. The spot opened by Montas will likely be filled by Domingo Germán, meaning the Yankees could be looking for back of the rotation depth and help until Montas returns.
After struggling with health and performance through his first eight starts in a Yankees uniform, it’s unclear exactly how big of an asset Montas will be when he returns to the rotation. That determination could be what ultimately pushes New York to look for more pitching depth before the start of the season and certainly way before the MLB trade deadline.