Gerrit Cole and Yankees rotation: Here's how it looks now without Yoshinobu Yamamoto
NEW YORK - The No. 18 remains an available uniform number on the Yankees, a win-now club with a glaring vacancy in the rotation.
Ace Japanese free agent right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto chose the Los Angeles Dodgers, signing a 12-year, $325 million deal and leaving the Yankees to consider other rotation options.
Through free agency, the trade market, or both, the Yankees are in search of impact pitching to bolster a rotation led by Gerrit Cole but plagued by depth-related issues.
Since the Winter Meetings, the Yankees have traded seven young pitchers to boost their lineup, led by the departure of Michael King - along with big-league ready starters Randy Vasquez and Jhony Brito - to the San Diego Padres in exchange for slugger Juan Soto.
Speaking earlier Thursday before the Yamamoto news, Yankees manager Aaron Boone referenced the pitching talent it took to land a slugger of Soto’s caliber.
There were different iterations of a trade being negotiated as the Yankees tried “to keep certain people out of’’ a deal with San Diego.
In the end, “it’s Juan Soto and it’s going to hurt a little bit,’’ Boone said of giving up big-league talent, particularly King, who was set to be in the Yanks’ 2024 rotation.
Still, “we do feel good about the next crop,’’ said Boone, mentioning Will Warren and Chase Hampton as “guys pushing up to that next level.
“But we definitely took a hit,’’ in losing King and all that pitching depth.
Here's how the Yankees' rotation currently looks:
1. Gerrit Cole, RHP
Coming off his first Cy Young award as the unanimous choice, Cole, 33, enters his fifth Yankees season (12th overall) still seeking his first world championship.
2. Carlos Rodon, LHP
Needs to win over the fans and regain the organization's faith after a dreadful inaugural Bronx season marred by injuries and some unforced errors.
3. Nestor Cortes, LHP
Also seeking a bounce back 2024 after following his 2022 All-Star season with a 12-start dud, due largely to two injury list stints (rotator cuff tendinitis).
4. Clarke Schmidt, RHP
Had a rough start to 2023, then became the most reliable Yankees starter after Cole, establishing MLB career highs in starts (32) and innings (159).
5. Will Warren, RHP
A former eighth-round pick, the 24-year-old made 19 starts (21 appearances) after his promotion to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, posting a 3.61 ERA in 99.2 innings (110 Ks, 47 BB).
Yankees starting depth
Right-handers Yoendrys Gomez, Luis Gil, Clayton Beeter, and Chase Hampton.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees starting rotation 2024: How it looks without Yoshinobu Yamamoto
