ORLANDO, Fla. — The Yankees face a roster dilemma heading into 2026. Three starting pitchers will begin the season on the injured list.
Gerrit Cole remains on the comeback trail from Tommy John surgery performed in March. He will not be ready for Opening Day. Clarke Schmidt underwent the same procedure in July and might not return until the second half of the season.
Carlos Rodon adds to the Yankees’ problems. The lefty had surgery to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur in his elbow. He will not throw for at least eight weeks and will miss the start of the season.
That leaves the Yankees with Max Fried, Schlittler, Luis Gil and Will Warren as their only healthy rotation options. Fried anchors the staff after posting a 2.86 ERA in his first season in the Bronx. Schlittler finished his rookie campaign with a 2.96 ERA in 73 innings.
Veteran swingman Ryan Yarbrough re-signed on a one-year deal to provide depth. But the Yankees clearly need more.
Meanwhile, a promising young arm who can touch 102 mph suddenly becomes extremely valuable, either in the Bronx or as trade bait for bigger fish.
Nobody at Yankee Stadium knew his name six months ago. But now Carlos Lagrange might hold the key to unlocking the Yankees’ entire offseason strategy.
The 22-year-old flamethrower from the Dominican Republic has rocketed up prospect rankings this season. He now sits at No. 2 on the Yankees’ internal list. With the Winter Meetings set to begin Sunday in Orlando, Lagrange has become one of the most intriguing names in trade discussions across baseball.
Lagrange draws comparison to Yankees breakout star
Few Yankees fans knew Cam Schlittler before the 2025 season. The seventh-round draft pick became a household name after striking out 12 Red Sox batters in eight scoreless innings during a do-or-die Wild Card game. His story offers a template for Lagrange.
MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch recently drew a direct line between the two Yankees pitchers.
“Carlos Lagrange jumped in the prospect rankings this past season on the strength of a campaign in which he was 11-8 with a 3.53 ERA in 24 Minor League games (23 starts), striking out 168 batters in 120 innings,” Hoch wrote.
Lagrange stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 248 pounds. His fastball can reach triple digits. He spent the bulk of 2025 pitching for Double-A Somerset, making 23 starts for the Yankees affiliate.
“A $10,000 find out of the Dominican Republic, the 6-foot-7, 22-year-old right-hander hits triple digits with his fastball and has improved his control,” Hoch wrote. “He could follow a trajectory similar to Cam Schlittler, whose strong second half included a dominant outing to eliminate the Red Sox from the American League Wild Card Series.”
Lagrange emerges as potential trade chip
The Yankees have shown willingness to move top pitching prospects in recent years. With shortstop George Lombard Jr. considered untouchable, Lagrange becomes the obvious centerpiece for any blockbuster deal.
“The Yankees have not been shy about selling high on their top pitching prospects in recent years, and with shortstop George Lombard Jr. almost certainly untouchable, it makes sense that teams would target one of Lagrange, Elmer Rodriguez or Bryce Cunningham as the centerpiece in a major trade,” Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter wrote.
Lagrange is ranked No. 74 among all prospects in baseball by MLB Pipeline. He only entered the top 100 in September after a dominant stretch at Somerset. The Yankees signed him for just $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2022.
His strikeout numbers jump off the page. Lagrange fanned 168 batters in 120 innings this season. That strikeout rate makes him attractive to teams seeking rotation help. It also gives the Yankees leverage in trade talks.
Yankees bullpen also draws focus
General manager Brian Cashman indicated the Yankees will prioritize bullpen help at the Winter Meetings. The relief corps lost key pieces this offseason. Devin Williams signed a three-year, $51 million deal with the rival Mets. Luke Weaver also hit the open market.
“Though Cashman mentioned free-agent starter Michael King among the early calls he’s made, the primary focus appears to be in the bullpen,” Hoch reported. “That group was uneven this past season, and free agency has already pulled Devin Williams and Luke Weaver to the open market.”
The Yankees have been linked to Japanese free agent Tatsuya Imai. They have also kicked tires on rotation targets like Michael King, their former homegrown reliever who reinvented himself as a starter in San Diego.
Lagrange could force his way to the Bronx
The most exciting scenario involves Lagrange earning a rotation spot himself. With three Yankees starters sidelined, opportunity exists for the 22-year-old to make the jump.
Schlittler proved it can happen. The Yankees called him up in July after he started the season at Double-A. He made 14 starts and posted historic numbers in the playoffs. There is no reason Lagrange cannot follow the same path.
Lagrange won Eastern League Pitcher of the Month in July. He went 2-0 with a 1.27 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 21.1 innings. He held opposing batters to a .101 average during that stretch.
The Yankees face tough decisions at the Winter Meetings. They need rotation depth. They need bullpen help. They need outfield upgrades with Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker on their radar.
Lagrange sits at the center of it all. Keep him and let him develop. Or trade him for a proven commodity. Either way, the kid who signed for $10,000 three years ago will shape the Yankees’ entire winter.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
