It has been a swing-and-miss offseason for the New York Yankees. They have expressed interest in multiple free agents, but have not landed many. The only significant players signed by New York have been the re-signings of Amed Rosario, Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough, and Trent Grisham. With that, the Yankees have been hoping to land a big-name starting pitcher via trade, while also being involved in other free agent talks.
One pitcher on their radar was Edward Cabrera of the Miami Marlins. However, New York is likely to miss out on the right-hander after the Chicago Cubs are reportedly extremely close to acquiring him.
Per John Heyman of the New York Post, not only are the Cubs progressing towards acquiring Cabrera, but the Yankees were “never close” on a deal for the 27-year-old.
Yankees Need Starting Pitching
GettyCarlos Rodon will miss the beginning of the season.
Carlos Rodon, Gerrit Cole, and Clarke Schmidt will each miss the start of the 2026 season. Cole and Schmidt are recovering from Tommy John surgery, with Cole returning before Schmidt. Rodon had surgery this offseason to remove bone spurs in his elbow.
Each of those are concerning injuries, and the Yankees will not rush any of them back. With that in mind, New York is down three key starting pitchers heading into the upcoming season.
The Yankees’ rotation now consists of Max Fried, Will Warren, Luis Gil, and Cam Schlittler. Fried is the ace of the group, but both Schlittler and Gil are promising young arms. In fact, Gil won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 2024.
Still, New York could use another starting pitcher or two to fill out their rotation and account for the inevitable injuries that occur throughout a Major League season. Being able to acquire Cabrera would have been huge for the Yankees.
With Cabrera off the radar, the Yankees will shift their focus to Freddy Peralta. New York has been linked to Peralta for a few weeks now, and the Brewers have shown willingness to trade their top starting pitchers in the past. But if the Yankees are unwilling to give up some of their top prospects, they are going to find themselves not close on yet another deal.
Yankees Still in Mix For Top Free Agents
GettyCody Bellinger and the Yankees remain far apart in contract negotiations.
Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker remain the top position player free agents on the market. With the Yankees seemingly wanting to attack their pitching problem via trade, it would make sense for the team to go after a free-agent bat.
Bellinger is the team’s top target. They are hoping to bring back the versatile outfielder, but talks have stalled. The left-handed bat wants more money than New York has been offering him. Still, the Yankees are expected to re-sign Bellinger.
Tucker is the other outfielder on the market, and he remains a pipe dream for the Yankees. It is becoming more likely that Tucker signs with their division rival, the Toronto Blue Jays.
One thing remains true this offseason. New York has not done enough to keep up with what their division rivals have done. The Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, and Baltimore Orioles are having a significant offseason. The Yankees are falling behind.
Yankees Unable to Land Edward Cabrera; Team Was ‘Never Close’