The New York Yankees will be without their ace, Gerrit Cole, for the entire 2025 season. Cole is set to undergo Tommy John surgery to fix an issue with his elbow that’s bothered him for a few weeks now. The righty will likely miss a chunk of 2026, too.
New York needs to look to replace Cole this season. Luis Gil is sidelined for the next few weeks, making a bad situation even worse for the Bronx Bombers.
The trade block will likely present a few quality options for New York to look into landing, but who makes the most sense?
Jack Murray of Bleacher Report recently listed Seattle Mariners ace Luis Castillo as a possible trade target for the Yankees to look to land as a Cole replacement.
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“Seattle may not be keen to move Castillo, but a strong offer could land the righty,” Murray wrote. “He went 11-12 with a 3.64 ERA in 2024, and the 32-year-old could fit into the rotation for a few more years as he is under contract through at least 2027.”
Acquiring Castillo doesn’t make much sense in this context for a few reasons.
First of all, the Mariners would likely rather keep him for the year. George Kirby is set to begin the season on the injured list, so Castillo is more valuable now to Seattle than ever.
The Yankees likely don’t have the prospects to acquire him either. Seattle is more than likely looking for big-league-ready position player prospects if it moves Castillo.
The Mariners are in a position to win right now, so it wouldn’t make much sense for them to trade an ace like Castillo for players who can’t help the team right now. It’s unlikely the Yankees will part ways with Will Warren, Spencer Jones, Jasson Dominguez or any of their big league caliber prospects.
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