Just eleven games into the 2025 campaign, the New York Yankees confront an all-too-familiar predicament: sky-high expectations, dwindling patience, and a pitching staff already showing critical fractures.
Tuesday’s 5-0 blanking by the Detroit Tigers laid bare these concerns. While Tarik Skubal, last year’s AL Cy Young recipient, masterfully silenced Yankee bats through six shutout frames, allowing just four hits and striking out six, the more pressing issue lurks within New York’s crumbling rotation.
Carlos Carrasco, making his third start this season, surrendered three homers amid a 4.1-inning, three-run outing. His precision wavered throughout, and his already minimal room for error proved insufficient yet again.
“It’s imperative that he commands all of it,” manager Aaron Boone said postgame in Detroit. “He’s got to have that elite command. He doesn’t have a lot of margin.”
At 38, Carrasco wasn’t penciled into the Yankees’ initial 2025 plans. Yet mounting injuries and alarming depth issues forced the veteran into service. His performance thus far—three starts, each yielding three-plus earned runs—hardly validates this desperate measure.
Yankees rotation under siege
With Gerrit Cole sidelined for the season following Tommy John surgery and Luis Gil (lat strain) shelved until at least July, the Yankees lack a genuine ace. Carlos Rodón, who took the ball on Opening Day, currently sports a troubling 5.19 ERA while ranking a dismal 92nd among 148 starting pitchers in Location+, which measures pitch placement accuracy.
Meanwhile, Marcus Stroman, originally viewed as depth insurance, increasingly resembles a liability. His Stuff+ metric—an advanced stat evaluating pitch quality characteristics—hovers near MLB’s basement, as does Carrasco’s. This combination of subpar “stuff” and command deficiencies makes their outings nerve-wracking adventures.
Stroman has failed to record 15 outs in either of his starts this season. Carrasco hasn’t pitched beyond 5.1 innings in any appearance while lugging an ERA exceeding 7.00.
This rotation bears little resemblance to what Yankees brass envisioned back in February’s spring training.
No trade lifeline in sight
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman likely won’t pursue external solutions—not yet, anyway. The free agent pool offers virtually nothing, and substantial trades rarely materialize this early. With premier arms unavailable and financial constraints from recent signings, management appears committed to in-house remedies.
This includes Clarke Schmidt, who began minor league rehab work last week after missing the season’s outset with rotator cuff tendinitis. Schmidt, 28, emerged as one of New York’s most reliable starters in 2024, posting an impressive 2.85 ERA across 16 starts while delivering clutch postseason performances. He could rejoin the rotation as soon as April 15.
While Schmidt’s return provides welcome relief, it represents just one arm, and he hasn’t thrown a major league pitch in over six months. This alone cannot salvage a rotation currently ranked 26th in ERA (5.40), last in quality starts (0), and among the bottom five in both strike rate and swinging strike percentage.
Out-of-the-Box options? Yankees need a fix
Creative solutions may soon become necessary. One internal candidate is Brent Headrick, a southpaw who developed as a starter in Minnesota’s system through 2023. Currently, at Triple-A, Headrick showed promise during spring training with improved command of newly developed splitter and fastball offerings.
In his brief 5.1-inning big-league stint earlier this season, he fanned nine batters and flashed potential. With proper buildup, he could serve in a swingman or emergency starter capacity.
Another name worth watching is Will Warren, who is currently rotation-slotted but battling consistency issues. Ranking among the league’s bottom 20 in Location+, Warren has struggled with diminished fastball velocity in cooler weather. His command remains spotty, potentially making him the casualty when Schmidt returns.
Will the rotation survive until the trade deadline?
Practically speaking, the Yankees hope to simply endure until midseason, when trade market activity increases and reassessment becomes possible.
This means weathering inconsistent outings from Stroman, Rodón, Carrasco, and Warren. It means leaning heavily on Max Fried, acquired during the offseason to stabilize the rotation in Cole’s absence. Fried’s season has started unevenly, and the Yankees desperately need him to emerge as the frontline arm they invested in.
Beyond Fried, the Yankees are asking mid-rotation starters to perform like aces. Without command improvements, sharper secondary offerings, or warmer conditions to boost velocity and movement, this equation likely remains unsolvable internally.
The timing of Cole and Gil’s injuries left Cashman little maneuvering room. Despite offseason attempts to move Stroman’s contract, no takers emerged. Now, what once appeared as a strength has transformed into the team’s most glaring vulnerability.
Where do the Yankees go from here?
If Schmidt returns effectively and Fried solidifies atop the rotation, the Yankees might survive until July. But should Carrasco and Stroman continue struggling while Rodon and Warren fail to sharpen their command, the push for bold action will intensify.
For now, the Yankees gamble on internal development rather than external reinforcements. That’s a precarious business in the ultra-competitive AL East, where one poor month can create season-long deficit challenges.
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