NEW YORK — The Yankees have gone zero during the offseason window. January could be when Brian Cashman finally opens his wallet.
New York finished the 2025 campaign with a 94-68 record. They fell to the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS after ousting the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card round. The loss marked yet another postseason disappointment for a franchise desperate to return to the World Series.
The front office has made only value signings so far. Amed Rosario. Tim Hill. Trent Grisham. Ryan Yarbrough. Paul Blackburn. All familiar names from the 2025 roster. None of them move the needle for a team that needs impact arms.
With Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt all expected to miss significant time early in 2026, the Yankees cannot afford to stand still. Five trade candidates have emerged as potential targets.
MacKenzie Gore brings first-half dominance to the discussion
The Washington Nationals lefty made his first All-Star team in 2025. The 26-year-old posted a 3.02 ERA over 19 first-half starts before shoulder inflammation derailed his second half.
Gore finished the season with a 5-15 record, a 4.17 ERA and a career-high 185 strikeouts across 30 starts. The wins and losses tell only part of the story. He pitched for a Nationals team that finished at the bottom of the NL East standings.
“Trading for Gore would give the Yankees a pitcher that’s made at least 30 starts in consecutive seasons,” Kelly wrote. “He did struggle after the All-Star Break, but the pitcher who posted a 3.02 ERA over 19 first-half starts looked like a top-of-the-rotation arm. Gore could benefit from going to a contending organization that might help to unlock his ace potential on a more consistent basis.”
Gore earns just $6.5 million in 2026. He remains under team control through 2027. The contract provides excellent value for a pitcher with top-of-the-rotation upside.
Trade feasibility rates high for Gore. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Washington has discussed trading the lefty with multiple clubs. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported Gore’s chances of being dealt are “moving a little bit upward” as the hot stove heats up. More than a dozen teams have made inquiries per former MLB executive Jim Bowden.
The price would require multiple quality prospects given Gore’s two years of team control, but the Yankees would not need to surrender a Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones to complete the deal. Washington’s new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni appears ready to maximize value on the club’s best asset. This trade could happen before spring training.
Freddy Peralta offers proven production from Milwaukee
The Brewers ace enters the final year of club control. Milwaukee will almost certainly trade him rather than lose him for nothing in free agency.
Freddy Peralta won a career-high 17 games in 2025. He posted a 2.70 ERA with 204 strikeouts across 176.2 innings. The 29-year-old right-hander earned his second All-Star selection and won NL Pitcher of the Month in August after recording a 0.32 ERA over five starts.
The price would be steep. The Yankees would likely need to part with a package that includes top prospects. But Peralta represents the type of established arm that could immediately slot behind Max Fried in the rotation.
Cashman is almost certainly working the phones on this one. Whether Hal Steinbrenner authorizes the prospect cost remains the question.
Trade feasibility remains complicated for Peralta. Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold acknowledged that no compelling offer has materialized. “I’m not sure that there’s a scenario that’s been presented that would make any sense for us,” Arnold said at the Winter Meetings. Milwaukee has traded Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams before free agency in recent years. Peralta fits that pattern.
But the Brewers reached the NLCS in 2025 and want to contend again. The price would require an MLB-ready arm like Luis Gil or Will Warren plus multiple top prospects. One proposed package centered on Jose Caballero, who led baseball with 49 stolen bases but is needed at shortstop while Anthony Volpe recovers from shoulder surgery. The $8 million salary makes Peralta a bargain compared to free agents like Dylan Cease, who landed $210 million from Toronto. The Yankees have interest. The cost may prove prohibitive.
Jeremiah Estrada made MLB history with strikeout streak
The San Diego Padres reliever owns one of the most impressive statistics in recent baseball history. From May 23 to May 28, 2024, Estrada struck out 13 consecutive batters. No pitcher had accomplished that feat since the expansion era began.
The 27-year-old compiled a 2.95 ERA across 62 appearances in 2024. He recorded 94 strikeouts in just 61 innings of work. His 2025 performance showed continued growth with a 3.45 ERA.
The Yankees bullpen has been a persistent weakness. Estrada’s mid-90s fastball and plus slider would address that need. He remains under team control through 2027, making him an affordable option for a team watching its payroll.
Trade feasibility exists but faces obstacles. The Padres fielded calls on Estrada, Morejon, Mason Miller and David Morgan this winter per president of baseball operations AJ Preller. However, San Diego is not inclined to move anyone from that group.
“There’s a lot of teams from which we have taken incoming calls,” Preller said. “It’s nice when people are calling you, and they have interest in your players.
At least then, you have some options. But I think the focus has been on the starting pitching and how do we fill that without taking away from the bullpen or from the lineup.” Estrada will play 2026 on a pre-arbitration salary, making him extremely cost-effective. The Padres had baseball’s best bullpen by ERA in 2025. They prefer to keep that strength intact. The Yankees would need to offer something San Diego values more than bullpen depth. That represents a challenging ask.
Adrian Morejon gives Yankees a left-handed weapon
The Padres have signaled they will listen to trade offers for their top relievers. Morejon stands out as the most realistic target for New York.
The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner urged the Yankees to pursue the left-hander.
“The Yankees would strongly benefit if they could import one more option for Boone to use in the back of their bullpen,” Kirschner wrote. “Estrada and Morejon are more realistic, and both would be excellent additions.”
Morejon earned All-Star honors in 2025. He posted a 2.08 ERA across 75 appearances with a 13-6 record. The 26-year-old remains under contract through the 2026 season.
“The Yankees currently have too many question marks in their bullpen to feel confident in this group being notably better in 2026,” Kirschner added. “That’s why adding at least one more quality reliever needs to be a priority for Cashman before the season begins.”
Trade feasibility mirrors Estrada’s situation with one key difference. Morejon is projected to earn roughly $3.5 million via arbitration in 2026 according to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. That modest salary combined with only one year of remaining control makes him cheaper to acquire than Estrada.
The Padres need starting pitching after losing Dylan Cease and Michael King. They could potentially swap a reliever for rotation help. San Diego has engaged in talks with the Mets involving their bullpen arms. The Yankees would need to offer something that addresses the Padres’ rotation needs or provides prospect value that San Diego cannot ignore. Morejon represents the more attainable Padres target, but San Diego still prefers to keep its elite bullpen intact barring a compelling return.
January marks the turning point. The spring training clock ticks closer every day. Cashman has targets. Now he needs to pull the trigger.
Brian Cashman should take the initiative and seize this opportunity, signing Tatsuya imai in the last two days (48 hours remaining) of the negotiation deadline, instead of remaining on the sidelines and appear content to watch from the sidelines.!
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Brian Cashman should take the initiative and seize this opportunity, signing Tatsuya imai in the last two days (48 hours remaining) of the negotiation deadline, instead of remaining on the sidelines and appear content to watch from the sidelines.!