Help is on the way for the New York Yankees. Question is, will it arrive in time? The Bronx Bombers are in a bit of a tailspin right now, surrending first place in the American League East to the Toronto Blue Jays. Returning to first took a hit over the weekend with the likely season-ending injury to right-hander Clarke Schmidt, who's facing Tommy John surgery.
The New York Post's Joel Sherman and Dan Martin reported that Brian Cashman's plan for the July 31 MLB trade deadline is changing. "Acquiring a starter before the deadline has now become more of a priority," the duo wrote.
Problem is, the market for starting pitchers is thin, meaning teams wanting to add arms can expect to pay a premium. So the Yankees' best option might be to work with what they have, especially given the latest injury news.
"The Yankees believe that Luis Gil (lat), who has yet to pitch this year but is on an injury rehab now, will be a factor to return to the rotation somewhere between the beginning of the second half and the July 31 trade deadline," Sherman and Martin reported. "Ryan Yarbrough (oblique) is considered more of an August possibility."
Getting Gil back would be like trading for a top-of-the-rotation arm. The 27-year-old is the reigning American League Rookie of the Year after posting a record of 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 29 starts last season.
The 33-year-old Yarbrough has been a revelation this year for the Yankees, going 3-1 with a 3.90 ERA in 16 appearances, including eight starts. He signed a one-year, $2 million contract with New York at the end of spring training after opting out of his deal with the Blue Jays.
In the meantime, Sherman and Martin reported the Yankees plan to promote Cam Schlittler to make his major league starting debut either Tuesday or Wednesday in the Bronx against the Seattle Mariners. Schittler has a combined 3.52 ERA this season in 15 appearances (14 starts), splitting time between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The 24-year-old Schittler is a Massachusetts native and joined the Yankees in 2022 as a seventh-round pick in the MLB Draft. He's currently the Yankees' No. 10 prospect, according to MLB.com.
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