Defending the AL title is not going to be so easy for the Yankees in 2025, not when they're missing two of their starting pitchers and their designated hitter, and the parts they unloaded in the offseason could come back to haunt them, too.
It was announced Monday that Gerrit Cole, last seen impersonating a traffic cop in the final game of the World Series, would undergo Tommy John surgery, and miss the season. This came days after Rookie of The Year Luis Gil was sidelined with a lat strain that could keep him out for the first half of the season, maybe longer. Now, the decision to trade Nester Cortes to Milwaukee for closer Devin Williams doesn't look so smart, after all.
Add to that the fact that Marcus Stroman has made noises about possibly being traded, and, well, the dysfunction of the 70's Bronx Zoo has returned with a vengeance.
In addition to Williams, the Yankees brought in Max Fried & Tyler Matzek (Atlanta), the latter as a non-roster invite, and lured Carlos Carrasco (Cleveland) back to NY after his stint with the Mets ended. Also in camp as a non-roster invite is Brandon Leibrandt, son of Charlie Leibrandt, who pitched for Atlanta & Kansas City, among others, during his career.
But, you ask, how do the Yankees replace Juan Soto (Mets)? You sign Paul Goldschmidt (St. Louis) and Cody Bellinger (Cubs). Goldschmidt replaces Anthony Rizzo at first base, and as of press time, Rizzo had not been signed elsewhere.
It is the pitching, however, that is of greater concern. The Yankees gave up reliever Cody Poteet (Cubs), and have watched Clay Holmes become a rising star as a starter (Mets). JT Brubaker came over from Pittsburgh to help fill the void.
Hal Steinbrenner may not be as bombastic as his late father, George (the bombast was passed down to Hank, who passed away a while back), but he is stubbornly loyal to manager Aaron Boone and GM Brian Cashman, both of whom have worn out their welcome in the Bronx. However, if the Bombers run into a rough start, things might change. You can't run the risk of losing the back pages in NYC to the Mets again.
In part 3, we'll check the Red Sox and the rest of the AL East.
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