Deal done: After making a wise trade, he was found to have a hidden injury, which led to his admission.
Gerrit Cole’s MRI results are still pending, but Dylan Cease seems to be back on the Yankees’ radar.
The Yankees have extended their offer to the Chicago White Sox for the right-handed pitcher, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Nightengale did point out that outfield prospect Spencer Jones is not included in New York’s offer.
After having trouble recovering from starts, Cole’s right elbow was undergoing an MRI, Yankees manager Aaron Boone informed reporters on Monday.
“He described it as his recovery before getting to his next start has been more akin to what he feels during the season when he’s making 100 pitches,” Boone stated. “He typically doesn’t have the recovery problems he is when he is throwing 45 and 55. We’re going to have an MRI to see what’s going on there because it’s just grown harder and more demanding.”
Boone stated on Tuesday that while there isn’t an official update, Cole will be subjected to additional testing that day. Even if they receive good news, he added, it’s improbable that the reigning AL Cy Young champion will be ready for the start of the regular season given the current state of affairs.
The majority of the winter was devoted to the White Sox pitching Cease to potential suitors. The fact that one general manager was quoted by Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network as stating Chicago wanted “the sun and the moon” for the 28-year-old contributed to the failure of any trade to materialize.
The White Sox and Yankees had “extensive talks” regarding Cease, according to Nightengale’s report on Sunday. However, the White Sox “never came close to receiving an offer” that would have persuaded them to accept.
The Yankees have a ton of choices if they do have long-term worries about Cole’s elbow. Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are still available as free agents if they would like to add an impact pitcher without giving up the prospect capital needed to sign Cease.
Right now, Cease is probably superior than both of those pitchers. Despite the awful White Sox defense that season, which inflated his 4.58 ERA, he still struck out 214 batters in 177 innings pitched. With 97 starts in the last three years, he has proven to be reliable.
Behind Cole, New York’s rotation is rife with uncertainties. After pitching for the Chicago Cubs in 2023 and recording a 3.95 ERA, Marcus Stroman was signed as a free agent in January. Carlos Rodón, who has a 6.85 ERA in 14 starts during his awful first campaign in the Bronx, is hoping to bounce back.
The Yankees and Houston Astros will square off at Minute Maid Park on March 28, 2024, to start the regular season. As of right now, Cease is expected to start for Chicago against the Detroit Tigers on Opening Day.
