Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal celebrates striking out Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh in the sixth inning of ALDS Game 5 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Yankees Named Top Trade Partner for Four Players

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Michael Rosenstein | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 1:00 PM ET

You can never have enough starting pitching. No one knows that better than New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. He is looking at an Opening Day roster next season missing Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt and Carlos Rodon, all of whom are on the road to recovery.

So it's possible Cashman tries to find some extra arms during the offseason. While much of the focus will be on free agents, there are several quality arms on the trade market.

The Athletic's Jim Bowden listed the top 10 trade targets and linked the Yankees to four players. Let's start with his top arm potentially up for grabs during Hot Stove season: Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, who is slated for free agency after the 2026 campaign.

Ace On The Market

Skubal and the Tigers aren't making progress on a contract extension, leading to speculation Detroit will trade the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner this winter, who is the favorite to win it again this year after leading the AL with a 2.21 ERA.

"Therefore, even though the Tigers are in position to compete for the postseason next year, it’s likely they shop Skubal at the Winter Meetings and try to make the best trade they can with so many big market teams with deep farm systems obviously wanting him, such as the Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees and Giants," Bowden wrote.

But if the price isn't right for Skubal, maybe Cashman chases Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene, who's under team control through 2029.

Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Greene's problem is durability, or the lack thereof. His career high in innings pitched is 150.1, which came in 2024 when he also made a career-best 26 starts. The 26-year-old was an All-Star in 2024 and finished eighth in NL Cy Young Award voting.

"One thing I do know, if they want to trade him, the Reds could get a huge return with that amount of team control remaining, and the Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles and Giants are likely to be interested," Bowden noted.

Other All-Star Arms Available

Greene is Bowden's No. 3 trade target. No. 6 is Miami Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara, who's also been linked to New York.

"The Marlins hold a team option for Alcantara for 2027, so he’s under team control for two more seasons," Bowden noted. "If Miami doesn’t get the asking price it wants this winter, the team will just hold onto him until next year’s trade deadline, giving him further time to get back to his accustomed level of dominance. Teams likely to have interest include the Red Sox, Angels, Astros, Orioles and Yankees."

Alcantara is a two-time All-Star who won the 2022 NL Cy Young Award. But he had Tommy John surgery in 2023 and hasn't looked the same since. The 30-year-old posted a career-worst 5.36 ERA this season.

Shopping For An Infielder

Just for good measure, Bowden also linked the Yankees to Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe, who's No. 8 on his trade target list.

"His 31 homers were tied with Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Yankees for the most by a second baseman, three more than Ketel Marte of the Diamondbacks and six more than Jose Altuve of the Astros. The Yankees and Astros could potentially have interest," Bowden noted.

The Yankees currently have Chisholm at second base, and the 27-year-old is coming off his best season in the big leagues. He set career highs with 31 home runs and 80 RBIs this year. Chisholm also stole 31 bases to join the 30-30 club.

Chisholm is one of 14 Yankees eligible for arbitration this winter. He will become a free agent following the 2026 season.

Lowe also will be a free agent one year from now. The two-time All-Star is four years older than Chisholm but has slugged at least 21 home runs in each of the last three seasons.

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