The Yankees have a problem, and Brian Cashman’s latest comments offer no reassurance to the fans. With Gerrit Cole sidelined indefinitely, New York’s rotation looks alarmingly thin, yet the front office seems hesitant to move the Jenga blocks. It raised eyebrows across the league when Cashman cited the luxury tax as a primary concern. Are the Yankees—yes, the Yankees—really backing away from adding pitching because of financial penalties? Or is there something else at play?
The Yankees have already surpassed MLB’s highest Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) threshold, meaning any additional salary incurs a 110% tax. That’s a steep penalty, no doubt. But, as critics quickly pointed out, this team always operates with one of the league’s biggest payrolls. The idea that they’d balk at an extra $10 million in tax penalties for a needed arm doesn’t sit right with many analysts.
Ken Rosenthal, for one, isn’t buying it. Speaking on MLB Network, he suggested the real issue isn’t just money—it’s how the Yankees don’t like their current options. “Lance Lynn at $5 million is really Lance Lynn at $11 million,” Rosenthal noted. “That one concern. But that shouldn’t be so much of a concern when you’ve got insurance money coming back for Gerrit Cole. They’re the Yankees.”
The Yankees need pitching, but don’t like what’s out there on the market, says @Ken_Rosenthal pic.twitter.com/pMuJGlLxTU
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 13, 2025
So, if the Yankees aren’t signing a pitcher, is it really because of the tax? Or is it because the free-agent market is uninspiring? The remaining options include aging veterans like Lynn, Kyle Gibson, and Spencer Turnbull—none of whom are game-changers. Cashman may feel that internal arms like Will Warren provided a similar upside at a fraction of the cost.
But relying on unproven arms is risky. The Dodgers found success last season with young pitchers like Bobby Miller and Emmet Sheehan, but as Rosenthal pointed out, LA had more depth than the Yankees currently do. If Warren struggles, who’s next? The Yankees don’t have a long list of ready prospects waiting in the wings.
Making a trade this late in the offseason isn’t easy. Most teams aren’t eager to move quality starting pitching unless they get a major haul in return. The Yankees could target someone before the deadline. But that means navigating months of uncertainty with a shaky rotation.
Cashman’s luxury tax remark may be technically true, but it’s not the whole story. The Yankees don’t love their external options, and making a trade is tough. But if the rotation falters early, expect fans—and the front office—to reconsider whether avoiding an extra tax bill was really worth the gamble.
Lessons from the past: Have the Yankees been here before?
2025 isn’t the first time the Yankees have begun a season with rotation question marks. At times, they opted to take chances on internal depth rather than making a headline-grabbing signing. In 2019, after missing high-profile pitchers, the team had to rely heavily on Luis Severino and James Paxton, who both got injured and ruined the Yankees’ plans.
More recently, in 2022, they chose not to make mid-season improvements, trusting their depth to get them far, only to see their staff break down during the playoffs. Time and again, when the Yankees have hesitated to bolster their pitching staff, it has come back to haunt them, forcing last-minute, often desperate moves.
This off-season feels eerily similar. The Yankees could have added a reliable starter by either fetching Blake Snell or re-signing Jordan Montgomery.
Yet, they chose not to because of contract length concerns or financial constraints. Now, they need to hope that Carlos Rodon returns to his ace form while Nestor Cortes and Clarke Schmidt roll their socks up and get ready to improve. History suggests that failing to address rotation depth in advance often leads to regret, especially when competing in the brutal AL East.
In the end, if this pattern holds, the Yankees could once again find themselves scrambling for pitching help, only to pay a premium for what they could have secured months earlier.
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