Yankees Target Top Talent for $100 Million Bid
This deal would make the Yankees scary when healthy.
Yankees predicted to make blockbuster trade for $400M 2-time Cy Young winner, 2-time All-Star originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The New York Yankees entered the offseason knowing their starting rotation would not be fully healthy to begin the 2026 season.
Gerrit Cole is expected to miss the first month or so , which could prove costly for New York. “The New York Yankees have a multitude of needs this offseason, but starting pitching ranks near the top of that list. With both Carlos Rodón (elbow) and Gerrit Cole (elbow) set to miss the beginning of the 2026 season, the club should have at least spot open in their rotation next to Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil and Will Warren,” SI’s Jack Markowski wrote.
At any point, the Yankees could look to make a trade, and one intriguing name to watch is ace Tarik Skubal. “The Tigers had a rough finish to 2025, particularly on offense, and that's not something Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander will fix. A middling offense and untimely pitching injuries could push the Tigers out of the race and put Skubal on the block.
Even as a rental with an enormous salary (he would still be owed about $10 million at the trade deadline), the bidding war for Skubal would be fierce. He's a balance of power player, someone who can swing a division race or a postseason series all by himself,” CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa wrote. Skubal could potentially seek a way out of Detroit if the season doesn’t go as planned or if the two sides can’t agree on an extension.