Yankees Might Lose Chance To Trade For Ex-Cardinals Cy Young

The New York Yankees are still reeling from Clarke Schmidt's Tommy John surgery, and a big move might be coming.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has never been shy of a splash, and he's likely monitoring the situation with former St. Louis Cardinals ace Sandy Alcántara (as are several contenders).

But will Alcántara even hit the market before July 31? MLB.com's Mark Feinsand threw some cold water on the possibility this week.

“Alcantara has been one of the most obvious trade candidates this season, but his woeful start to 2025 raised concerns for many clubs as he worked his way back from Tommy John surgery," Feinsand wrote.

"The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner opened June with a four-start stretch that saw him post a 2.74 ERA, but he’s reverted over his past three outings, pitching to a 9.53 ERA. Unless the (Miami) Marlins get an offer they like, Miami could wait and try to trade Alcantara -- who has a $17 million salary in 2026 and a $21 million club option for ’27 -- in the offseason.”

It'll be interesting to see how aggressively the Yankees (and others) pursue Alcántara, especially if Miami is indeed hesitant to move him.

Would it be prudent for Cashman to overpay in prospect capital for a version of Alcántara that still hasn't fully recovered? It would certainly be a risk.

On the other hand, as the season progresses, Alcántara should keep improving. If he were even 75 percent of his 2022 self by the time the postseason came around, the Yankees would surely benefit from having him in the rotation.