New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole suffered an offseason elbow injury that’s going to require Tommy John surgery to fix. This surgery will end his 2025 season before it even gets started and potentially keep him out of action for a chunk of 2026 as well.

With starter Luis Gil also out for the next few weeks, it seems like the Yankees need to add starting pitching to the big-league roster. There have been a lot of rumors connecting the Yankees to a handful of different starting pitchers, both in free agency and on the trade block.

How will New York address this major hole in the roster?

Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer recently made the bold prediction that the Yankees would stand pat and not add anybody to replace Cole. This is a bold prediction, but it seems more and more likely with each passing day.

 

TAMPA, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 28: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees walks through the dugout in the first inning during a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner..

“With Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery) out for the year and Luis Gil (lat strain) gone for as long as three months, the Yankees need starting depth,” Rymer wrote. “Bold Prediction: The Cubs sign Lynn and the Yankees let it ride with incumbents.”

The Yankees have an ace with Max Fried at the top of the rotation. Over the last five seasons, Fried has held his ERA below a 3.30. But the rest of the rotation is in question.

Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, and Marcus Stroman has questions around them. As of now, the choice for the fifth starter would likely be top pitching prospect Will Warren.

It would certainly be a bold strategy for the Yankees to opt out of adding a reliable arm, but Rymer could be right. If he is, this season could be quite a roller-coaster ride for the Yankees.