The New York Yankees are one loss away from elimination in this year’s postseason. Because of that, they may need to turn their attention to the offseason sooner than they had hoped.
The Yankees could have one of the best rotations in Major League Baseball next year, as Gerrit Cole will return from Tommy John surgery. Cole will join Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, and rookie sensation Cam Schlittler. Not to mention 2024 AL Rookie of the Year, Luis Gil, and potentially Clarke Schmidt. Schmidt’s impact depends on when he returns from the second Tommy John Surgery of his baseball career.
New York’s hopes of winning a World Series this season aren’t dead yet. However, general manager Brian Cashman could have a busy winter if his team loses one of its next three games against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Yankees Could Revisit Trade Scenario With Marlins
The Miami Marlins overshot expectations in 2025, remaining in postseason contention until the last week of the regular season. The National League East clubs’ front office decided to hold on to starter Sandy Alcantara, whose name was in dozens of trade rumors during the summer.
Alcantara, 30, made 31 starts this season after returning from Tommy John surgery. He looked much better down the stretch, but finished the season with a 5.36 ERA and 4.28 FIP. The Marlins owe the right-hander $17.3 million for the 2026 season.
The Yankees were reportedly one of the teams interested in Alcantara’s services at the deadline, and Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer believes they could go after him during the offseason. Rymer’s proposed trade package to the Marlins is outfielder Jasson Dominguez and the Yankees’ No. 5 prospect, right-hander Carlos Lagrange.
“Or, the Yankees could choose the overkill way forward with their rotation. A trade for Alcantara would fit the bill, as he’s a former Cy Young Award winner who finished 2025 on an upswing with a 2.68 ERA in his last eight starts,” wrote Rymer.
“Would the Yankees be conceding defeat by trading DomÃnguez? Maybe, but they should be willing to question the disparity between his past hype and his present reality. If you’re going to post a 101 OPS+, you can’t be as bad defensively as he is.”
Should the Yankees Take a Chance With Sandy Alcantara?
The Marlins are obviously not in the same financial situation as the Yankees are. Shedding Alcantara’s salary for next season could help them reallocate the money to different areas on the field.
“And yet, small-market, low-revenue teams like the Marlins must always be realistic. Alcantara is on the hook for $17.3 million next year,” Rymer added. “By their standards, it represents a big risk for a 30-year-old who’s a year removed from Tommy John surgery and coming off a 5.36 ERA.”
If Alcantara represents a “big risk” for the Marlins, he would most likely be one for the Yankees, too, in a different way. New York cannot guarantee Cody Bellinger or Trent Grisham will be back in pinstripes next season.
Trading away a 22-year-old Dominguez before playing 150 games in the Major Leagues could be considered unwise. It doesn’t seem likely the Yankees would give up on “The Martian” that quickly, and Lagrange is a breakout arm in New York’s minor league system that throws his fastball upwards of 100 mph.
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