The New York Yankees missed out on Edward Cabrera, but they still may be in line to add a bona fide ace to their starting rotation before pitchers and catchers report to spring training next month.
According to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, the Yankees have been linked to Washington Nationals ace MacKenzie Gore, who just agreed to a $5.6 million deal for 2026 on Thursday to avoid arbitration.
The Yankees will be down at least three starters for at least the first month of the season. Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt are recovering from Tommy John surgery, and co-ace left-hander Carlos Rodon is expected to miss at least the first month after offseason elbow surgery.
Cabrera, who the Yankees had been previously linked to, was traded by the Miami Marlins to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman reportedly said they were “never close” to a deal for Cabrera.
The Yankees, who finished tied with the eventual AL champion Toronto Blue Jays atop the AL East at 94-68. Rodon and fellow lefty Max Fried each finished in the top-six in Cy Young voting behind Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.
The Yankees Have Talked To The Nationals About MacKenzie Gore
A trade involving MacKenzie Gore might help general manager Brian Cashman sleep better at night after he lost Juan Soto for only a draft pick last year.
Gore was the Nationals’ prized acquisition in their trade of Soto to the San Diego Padres during the 2022 MLB season. The Padres offloaded Gore, C.J. Abrams, Robert Hassell III, Luke Voit and James Wood on Aug. 2, 2022 for just one-plus season of Soto before they traded him to the Yankees in December 2023.
Gore is 22-37 with a 4.15 ERA in three seasons with the Nationals and has been wild in his career, averaging about four walks per nine innings since joining the majors with San Diego in 2022.
But with Cabrera gone, and the price for a deal for Skubal likely too rich for the Yankees’ blood, they’ll have to pivot to land a MLB-caliber starter.
“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 reported Thursday. “Gore, 26, has two remaining years of team control. In 2025, he posted a 4.17 ERA with 185 strikeouts in 159 2/3 innings, earning $2.89 million.”
The Yankees Want Young, Cost-Controlled Starting Pitchers
Hoch noted the Yankees are likely to go over their budget to re-sign free agent outfielder Cody Bellinger, which means they will have to shop for bargains to upgrade their pitching staff.
Cole (nine years, $324 million), Rodon (six years, $162 million) and Fried (eight years, $218 million) have three of the richest contracts for starting pitchers in baseball.
That’s why the Yankees are targeting the likes of Gore, Peralta and Pittsburgh Pirates starter Mitch Keller in trades, while spending more of their offseason budget to retain Bellinger.
“Peralta, 29, is in his final year under team control and is coming off a season in which he posted a 2.70 ERA with 204 strikeouts in 176 2/3 innings,” Hoch wrote. “He has made 30 or more starts in each of the last three seasons and is set to earn $8 million this year.
“That salary makes Peralta an attractive fit as the Yankees seek to re-sign Cody Bellinger while also aiming to keep their payroll close to $300 million.”
Yankees Linked to $5.6 Million Pitcher After Edward Cabrera Miss