Yankees have two starting pitcher trade targets while they wait for Gerrit Cole

The New York Yankees need as much help as they can get on the mound right now.

Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt and Gerrit Cole will all miss time to start the season, and someone will have to pick up the slack.

Barring a setback, Cole will return from Tommy John surgery at some point in April or May, and the Yankees will need someone to help the team hold down the fort.

According to MLB insider Bryan Hoch, that's why they've set their sights on two potential trade targets to add firepower to their rotation.

Yankees want to bolster their rotation 

"With a blockbuster swap for Tigers ace Tarik Skubal unlikely, the Yankees have remained engaged with other available options, including talks with the Nationals about left-hander MacKenzie Gore and with the Brewers about right-hander Freddy Peralta," Hoch wrote.

Peralta is coming off a stellar campaign and will make just $8 million next season. He posted a 2.70 ERA with 204 strikeouts and is a proven veteran. He's also a true workhorse, making at least 30 starts in each of the past three seasons.

The Yankees would benefit from pairing a dominant righty with a southpaw like Max Fried, giving them a strong one-two punch that would force the opposing team to make big adjustments. 

As for Gore, he's three years younger and has two more years of team control, but his numbers aren't as impressive. He posted a 4.17 ERA last season, and command issues might be a bit of a concern.

Then again, he's making roughly $2.8 million, so getting him would still put the Yankees in a position to make another run at Cody Bellinger while still keeping their payroll under $300 million. 

Also, his underlying metrics are far more impressive, as he ranked in the 80th percentile for strikeout% (27.2 percent) and whiff% (29.7 percent) last season, so he might be in for some positive regression. 

In the meantime, Aaron Boone will lean on the likes of Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Luis Gil, all while Ryan Yarbrough gives them a stopgap insurance policy while their injured stars get back to full strength.