The New York Yankees bolstered their starting rotation for the 2026 MLB season on Jan. 13 after trading with the Miami Marlins for left-hander Ryan Weathers. Moreover, New York gave up four prospects in the deal: Outfielders Dillon Lewis and Brendan Jones, and infielders Dylan Jasso and Juan Matheus.
As for Weathers, the 26-year-old was limited to eight major league starts because of a flexor strain and lat strain in 2025, posting a 3.99 ERA with 37 strikeouts and 12 walks in 38 1/3 innings.
New York needs starting pitching help to get them through the early part of the season, as Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Clarke Schmidt will be returning at different points during the campaign.
Nonetheless, former MLB general manager Steve Phillips didn’t hold back his thoughts on the Yankees adding a young arm with upside.
“Brian Cashman has been saying all along they want to continue to look for pitching, and I love this trade for the Yankees,” Phillips said in a video posted on Jan. 13 by MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. “Now, again, we’ll see about the prospects and what they turn out to be, but I do like the notion of getting Ryan Weathers from the Marlins… But I like him. I like his stuff; I like his moxie. I think he’s growing and developing.”
Yankees Continue to Improve Starting Pitching Depth
Moreover, Phillips likes the deal for the Yankees, not only because of the upside the player brings, but also because it adds to the depth New York are starting to have at the major and minor league levels.
“The idea that he goes to the Yankees, where they have a need for depth, especially at the start of the season, where you’re not going to have Gerrit Cole, where Carlos Rodón is not going to be quite ready to start the year, along with Ryan Yarbrough, to bring in a guy like Ryan Weathers, who still has options left, it’s a really nice fit,” Phillips added.
“In the meantime, the Yankees have five pitchers who are going to be in Double-A [and] Triple-A, and very close to being ready for the big league. This is a really nice depth piece from the left side for the Yankees.”
Yankees Aren’t Done Adding Top-Tier Starting Pitching
Despite adding Weathers, the Yankees might not be done in the pitching department. According to a report from Brendan Kuty and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic on Jan. 13, the Yankees are not done pursuing trades for top-tier starting pitching after acquiring Weathers.
“Don’t expect acquiring Weathers to halt the Yankees’ search for a higher-level starting pitcher,” they reported.
One name linked to the Yankees is Milwaukee Brewers‘ Freddy Peralta. However, the New York Mets are another team rumored to be interested in the star pitcher.
On the Jan. 11 edition of SNY’s “SportsNite, “ Anthony McCarron was presented with which team in the Big Apple needs Peralta more: the Mets or the Yankees.
“He’s a better fit for the Mets just because they have a greater need in their rotation, “ McCarron said. “I know the Yankees have some stuff going on with [Carlos] Rodón and [Gerrit] Cole not starting the season on time, but the Mets still need some ace-level quality, and that is Peralta, which is why it’s going to cost to get him.”
Yankees Receive Strong Message After Trading for Ryan Weathers