The Major League Baseball trade deadline becomes a topic as soon as the calendar flips past April these days.
As the New York Yankees look to improve upon their 1 1/2-game lead atop the American League East, there's still one obvious need that one can project three months ahead of the deadline: starting pitching.
The Yankees have rallied after losing Gerrit Cole to the injured list for the season, but they're also still trotting out Will Warren and Carlos Carrasco every trip through the rotation. Not only are those two dragging down the team's ERA, but they're taxing the bullpen.
An ideal target for the Yankees, if he's healthy, would be former Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins. But they'll have some stiff competition in the 29-year-old's sweepstakes if he can rebound from a sluggish start to the season.
On Thursday, Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly predicted that the Yankees would lose out on Alcantara to the "all-in" Chicago Cubs.
"While the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and New York Mets are among the other contenders who could stand to add a front-line pitcher, the Cubs are the most motivated to be aggressive," Kelly wrote.
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"They've lost Justin Steele for the year to elbow surgery. And as much as they surely hope to retain Kyle Tucker beyond 2025, they're only guaranteed one season with the star outfielder because he'll have plenty of suitors in free agency in the offseason."
Right now, Alcantara just has to worry about readjusting to major league competition after a year off. He's got a ghastly 8.31 ERA through six starts, with a walk rate more than double his career average.
But assuming this all-world talent can eventually get himself right, the Yankees could be in a major showdown with Chicago and a handful of other teams for this workhorse.
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