Gerrit Cole throwing a pitch

The New York Yankees need rotation help, and they need it now. Losing Gerrit Cole is a devastating blow for a Yankees team with World Series hopes. When on the bump, Cole is one of the best in the game, and would’ve been a significant piece to the Yankees’ pursuit of a World Series.

If the Yankees want to replace him, trading for a starter should be the plan. Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut put together a few trade replacements, pitching the idea of landing former Yankees pitcher Michael King.

“Rounding out our list of Yankees trade targets is another pitcher the organization knows very well. Michael King was a key piece in the Juan Soto trade last year and he pitched brilliantly for the San Diego Padres. He set a career-high in innings pitched (173.2), finishing seventh in NL CY Young Award voting thanks to a 2.95 ERA and 1.19 WHIP.

“New York knows he can pitch in Yankee Stadium – 2.60 ERA and 0.8 HR/9 from 2020-’23 – and he proved last season he can be a full-time starter. Furthermore, unlike Dylan Cease, there’s a shot at keeping him next season ($15 million mutual option). However, San Diego is reportedly even more inclined to keep him versus Cease, so acquiring him would prove costly to the farm system,” Johnson wrote.

Would King Be the Best Option?

King has excellent stuff; the New York Yankees know that better than anyone. In 2023, he posted a 2.75 ERA for the Yankees.

With the San Diego Padres last season, joining the team after the Yankees traded him and more for Juan Soto, the New York native posted a 2.95 ERA in 30 starts.

However, for the Yankees to add him, the Padres need to be willing to move on from him. There were rumors that they could look to trade the ace, but the latest report doesn’t sound too good for the Yankees.

“Teams have continued calling on Cease and King, but the Padres don’t want to weaken what they believe is a rotation strong enough to sustain them through the season and in postseason series.

“Sources inside the organization and around the league have said since before spring training began that King is virtually assured of staying. The Padres have not ruled out a trade of Cease. But sources familiar with their internal deliberations say it would happen only if it makes the Padres significantly better in at least one of the three spots at which they appear to have deficiencies offensively — designated hitter, catcher and left field,” Kevin Acee of the San Diego Tribune wrote.

Yankees Will ‘Explore’ Arms

The New York Yankees have to feel confident in their team if they added another arm. Sure, King might not be as talented as Cole if they were to land him, or anyone else for that matter, but the pieces are there to, at the very least, win the American League East.

All the Yankees need is a chance to compete for a pennant, and they need to understand that.

According to Erik Boland of News Day, Brian Cashman said the Yankees will “explore” the market, a good sign as they look to find another starter.