It seems like the Yankees aren’t catching a break soon! Their never-ending players’ injuries have rattled their lineup—call it bad luck or a simple misfortune—the challenges keep coming. First, they lost key players like Giancarlo Stanton, Luis Gil, and DJ LeMahieu, and now it’s their pitcher, who has been ruled out due to an injury. The New York Yankees are bracing for a massive loss, and who knows what the consequences can be?
Will it be the end of hopes to win the World Series title, or is it more shocking for their captain, Aaron Judge, not to have a good enough team that can battle it out in the 2025 season? The Yankees’ Gerrit Cole is the latest player in tragedy, as he will likely miss the 2025 season entirely due to Tommy John surgery. So what consequences does the Yankees hold in the absence of Gerrit Cole? Cole signed with the Yankees for a hefty nine-year, $324 million contract in 2019. He had a good 2024 season, where he completed 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA and 17 G.
However, as per reports, Cole has been suggested to get the Tommy John surgery after suffering from pain and discomfort in his elbow during the spring training. Responding to this news, on March 10, former baseball player and MLB insider, Dallas Braden, said during the “Baseball is Dead” episode, “Obviously, it’s an incredible blow for the Yankees; it’s not so much that they want to win a lot of games without Gerrit Cole, but it’s just that it takes, you know, it shaves off the celling of what this team can potentially accomplish; uhh, it’s really frustrating.”
Braden even mentioned how the Yankees boast of an experienced team of members, which everyone expects to win big. Given that Tommy John surgery usually takes around 12 to 18 months to make a full recovery, losing out on Cole might hamper their 2026 season, putting the Yankees in a huge loss after such a hefty investment in him. Braden was quoted saying, “It’s also Aaron Judge’s prime, like this is really every move that the Yankees make is really about maximizing the window for Aaron Judge because of his all-time great player status, uhh, and ability to almost single-handedly carry a team in a way that very few baseball players can, uhh, during the regular season at least.”
Responding to this, the host and MLB analyst Jared Carrabis echoed a similar statement, agreeing with Braden. However, Carrabis pointed out Aaron Judge, who’s entering his age-33 season, with the Yankees spending money on him and Cole, and finally, what happens? Judge loses the most important players, and the Yankees refuse to tack on that extra year too, making it more difficult for the aging superstar to maintain his legacy further. And now, the series of injuries has left Judge with no choice but to play with the team he has, which does not seem good enough to make it to the playoffs, doesn’t it?
The Yankees are looking to make some additions to provide Judge with much-needed support
Amid the never-ending list of injured players, the New York Yankees seem to have shown interest in some new players. One of the MLB insiders, Mike Rodriguez, made a post on X, highlighting Brian Cashman’s intent to pursue Dylan Cease, Sandy Alcantara, and Erick Fedde. They might even look to get back Sonny Gray or Michael King, given that the Yankees’ front office hadn’t been very active in getting the best free agents earlier. These signings could bring some balance to the team and provide the much-needed support to Judge that he was looking for, but that doesn’t end here!
Aaron Judge has expressed his interest in a young prospect who can be a possible replacement for the pitcher, Gerrit Cole, or even Giancarlo Stanton. Despite an injury, Alcantara has shown great signs as he pitched fastballs at 99 mph and gradually brought that heat, touching the 100 mph mark. While the Yankees are in dire need of an elite arm, the 29-year-old pitcher’s addition could provide a major boost to their lineup. Maybe even turn back the dwindling hopes of making it big this season and lift the World Series for the Yankees.
What, according to you, may be helpful for Judge to make it to the playoffs? Let us know in the comment section below.
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