Insiders Believe the Yankees Will Add a Starter — And It Won’t Be via Free Agency

The MLB Winter Meetings are upon us, and the rumor mill is already in overdrive, particularly when it comes to potential starting pitching options for the Yankees. As of now, the Yankees’ interest in the top free-agent starters appears limited at best.

They’ve been linked most frequently to Tatsuya Imai, but Brian Cashman, speaking on Yankees Hot Stove Sunday, seemed to downplay that interest by declining to confirm whether Imai would even visit New York. That could certainly be Cashman playing coy, especially with Imai represented by Scott Boras, the savviest agent in the game. The last thing you want is to give Boras extra leverage.

The Yankees have also been connected to Michael King, but at the moment, it doesn’t appear their interest matches the level of other teams in the market.

That brings us back to the trade market, where Jack Curry of YES stated on Yankees Hot Stove:

“I get the feeling that if the Yankees were to add a starter, it would be via trade.”

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the pitchers the Yankees have been connected to recently, rank them by interest level, and evaluate how realistic each option may be.

Tarik Skubal

There’s no question, Tarik Skubal would be my top target

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At minimum, he’s a top-three pitcher in baseball. Jeff Passan of ESPN recently listed the Yankees among the teams that could land the back-to-back Cy Young winner, citing New York’s pitching depth as something that may appeal to Detroit. The Athletic also published potential trade packages that could pry Skubal away, including a Yankees-centered proposal deemed a “fair trade” by Baseball Trade Values.

That said, I still don’t see it being enough—not only to convince the Tigers to move their ace, but to keep him in the American League. Buster Olney mentioned on the Just Baseball Show that:

“A highly ranked executive I talked to yesterday said, ‘Yeah, I think they are gonna trade him.’”

If Skubal is traded, I believe it will be to a National League team, such as the Mets or Dodgers, both of whom can assemble stronger offers while also removing him from the AL equation.

MacKenize Gore

Now to the more realistic trade targets, starting with MacKenzie Gore of the Washington Nationals.

Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reported that the Yankees are among the teams that have spoken with the Nationals about Gore in recent days. Gore is a fascinating pitcher with a solid floor and what I believe to be a very high ceiling.

He possesses elite swing-and-miss stuff, posting:

• 29.9% Chase Rate

• 29.7% Whiff Rate

• 27.2% Strikeout Rate

All of those metrics sit in the 70th percentile or better, per Baseball Savant.

Despite his raw ability, Gore has underperformed relative to expectations over the past two seasons, posting an ERA around 4.00. His expected numbers largely align with that output. I think the next step for Gore is refining his pitch mix—and possibly adding another pitch altogether.

Under Matt Blake, the Yankees have consistently maximized pitchers who join the organization, and I have a lot of confidence they could unlock another level from Gore.

A potential trade package could look something like this:

Warren offers control and upside after a solid big-league debut. Jones is a classic boom-or-bust prospect, exactly the type of risk a rebuilding team like Washington may be willing to take. Hampton, once a top Yankees prospect, has seen his value dip due to injuries, but the upside remains very real.

Gore has two years of control remaining and is projected to earn roughly $6.5 million in 2026. Overall, he’s a highly intriguing option with legitimate breakout potential.

Sandy Alcantara

Dating back to the trade deadline, Sandy Alcantara has been consistently linked to the Yankees. There were even reports that a deal was “very close” before negotiations stalled over New York’s reluctance to include Spencer Jones.

More recently, Jim Bowden stated that Alcantara has a “legit shot” to be traded to the Yankees, and that the two teams have resumed discussions regarding the former Cy Young winner.

There are risks here, but also reasons for optimism.

2025 was Alcantara’s first season back from Tommy John surgery, and the surface numbers weren’t great—a 5.36 ERA. However, his 4.28 FIP tells a different story. Digging deeper, Alcantara made 10 post-deadline starts and posted:

• 3.70 ERA

• 3.88 FIP

• 3.51 xFIP

He also saw improvements in ground-ball rate and strikeouts compared to earlier in the year.

A potential deal could center around a one-for-one swap involving Spencer Jones. The Marlins have clearly shown interest in Jones, and while the Yankees would be taking on risk—especially with Alcantara owed $17.3 million in 2026—the upside is substantial.

If Alcantara returns to even 75–80% of his pre-TJ form, the Yankees would almost certainly pick up his 2027 club option ($21M), making it two years for $38.3M. In this pitching market, that’s strong value.

Freddy Peralta

My final, and perhaps favorite, trade target is Freddy Peralta of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Joel Sherman reported that the Yankees have had recent conversations with Milwaukee about Peralta, and the fit makes sense. These front offices have completed major deals before, most notably the Devin Williams trade last offseason.

Peralta was excellent in 2025, posting:

• 2.70 ERA

• 3.64 FIP

• 3.6 WAR

His underlying metrics were elite, ranking in the 80th percentile or higher in:

• xBA

• Average Exit Velocity

• Whiff Rate

• Strikeout Rate

• Hard-Hit Rate

• Extension

Here is what a trade for Freddy Peralta may look like:

I think this a deal that makes sense for both sides. The Brewers get a cheap, controllable outfielder they immediately can make an everyday starter, while also adding a high upside starter with crazy velocity. In return, the Yankees would add an ace-level starter at just $8 million in 2026. That’s an incredible value and immediately stabilizes the rotation. If Peralta proves to be a great fit, he’s someone the Yankees could invest in long-term.

Final Thoughts

With all of these options, it’s hard to see the Yankees truly going wrong. The key question is whether the opportunity cost of trading prospects outweighs simply signing a free agent like Tatsuya Imai or Michael King.

Here’s how I’d rank the realistic trade options based on cost, control, and performance:

1. Freddy Peralta

2. MacKenzie Gore

3. Sandy Alcantara

I’m excluding Skubal here because I simply don’t believe Detroit will trade him—especially not to another AL team.

Peralta makes the most sense to me. His cost is low, the performance is elite, and the Yankees’ recent trade history with Milwaukee helps. Gore and Alcantara are close behind, but the recent TJ surgery gives me pause with Alcantara, while I believe Gore has significant untapped potential waiting to be unlocked.

Let me know your thoughts on the pitchers the Yankees have been connected to and who you’d like to see them acquire!

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