With the New York Yankees rotation struggling with the worst ERA in the majors right now, it is clear that general manager Brian Cashman needs to go out and get some help if this team is going to compete in October.
The local media suggest that Pablo Lopez is a possible solution.
The 29-year-old Twins right-hander is currently sidelined with a minor hamstring issue, but he’s expected to return well before the trade deadline. And if Minnesota doesn’t get out of its slow start to the season, Lopez could instantly become one of the top starters on the market. He was an All-Star in 2023 and has posted 12.1 rWAR since the start of 2021. He’s also on a very reasonable $73.5 million deal through 2027, giving any buyer 2½ years of team control.
Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media suggested Lopez as a top potential target for the Yankees. Though he also named infield prospect George Lombard Jr. as the centerpiece in a deal to get Lopez, which the Yankees' front office is very unlikely to do.
"George Lombard Jr., one of the Yankees’ most promising infielders, could be the name that gets the conversation started... It would be a tough pill to swallow," Wilson wrote. "But prospects are never guarantees — and if the Yankees want to push deep into October and stabilize their rotation for years to come, Pablo Lopez might be worth the gamble."
Fans think that way, front offices do not give up young controllable top prospects for anything less than a talent who can change an organization. Spencer Jones is much more likely to be part of a trade deadline package right now.
If Lopez returns from injury and regains his form, the Twins may ask for a top-100-type talent to headline a deal. With Gerrit Cole out for the year and the rest of the rotation showing serious cracks, New York might be unable to afford not to make a deal including Jones or Lombard.
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