The New York Yankees are staring down a rough road as Opening Day looms just ten days away on March 27. Their quest to replace Gerrit Cole—their ace who’s now sidelined for all of 2025 after Tommy John surgery—has gone from a strategic puzzle to a full-on emergency. The Bronx faithful were already reeling from the news, but the hits keep coming, and the rotation that once looked like a strength is now hanging by a thread. Enter Zac Gallen, the Diamondbacks’ star pitcher, who might just be the electric arm the Yankees need to steady the ship. But pulling it off? That’s where things get tricky.
Let’s rewind a bit. This spring has been a nightmare for Yankees pitching. First, Luis Gil, last year’s AL Rookie of the Year, went down with a high-grade lat strain during a bullpen session. Early reports pegged it at six weeks, but now it’s ballooned to three months—pushing his return to sometime around June. Then came the gut punch: Gerrit Cole, the anchor of this staff, needed diagnostic tests on his elbow. Hopes for a quick fix faded fast when the verdict landed—Tommy John surgery, wiping out his entire season and likely some of 2026 too. And just when fans thought the worst was over, Clarke Schmidt got scratched from a start with shoulder soreness. Aaron Boone’s calling it precautionary, but you don’t need a medical degree to see the red flags piling up.
Right now, the Yankees are left with two of their original five starters: Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. Fried’s a stud—fresh off an eight-year, $218 million deal—and Rodón’s got the talent to dominate when he’s on. But two arms don’t make a rotation, especially not for a team with World Series dreams. Marcus Stroman’s still around after the team couldn’t trade him this winter, and he’ll likely slide into the No. 3 spot. Beyond that? It’s a crapshoot. Will Warren, a rookie who got shelled last year with a 10.32 ERA, might be next in line. The depth’s thin, and the margin for error’s even thinner.
So, where do the Yankees turn? Zac Gallen’s name keeps popping up, and for good reason. The Diamondbacks ace has the kind of stuff that makes hitters sweat—nasty breaking balls, pinpoint control, and a fastball that hums. He’s 29, coming off a solid career with a 3.29 ERA since 2019, and he’s got postseason chops from Arizona’s 2023 NL pennant run. When he’s right, he’s Cy Young caliber, finishing top five in NL voting in ’22 and ’23. Sure, he had a hamstring hiccup last year that capped him at 148 innings, but the guy’s a gamer. In the Bronx, he could be the difference between a shaky rotation and a legit contender.
Here’s the catch: Gallen’s in his walk year, and he’s projected to snag around $200 million in free agency next winter if he stays healthy and deals. The Diamondbacks just dropped $210 million on Corbin Burnes over six years, so they’ve got to be asking themselves—can we afford to pay Gallen top dollar too? If Arizona’s in the playoff hunt by July, they’ll hold tight. But if they stumble out of the gate, trading Gallen could net them a haul of prospects to reload for the future. That’s where the Yankees could swoop in.
Picture this: it’s late July, the Diamondbacks are hovering around .500, and the Yankees are desperate. Gallen’s striking out 26.6% of batters he faces, walking just 7.6%, and sitting on a sub-3.50 ERA. Brian Cashman dangles a package—maybe top outfield prospect Spencer Jones or George Lombard Jr.—and suddenly Gallen’s pinstriped, slotting in behind Fried and Rodón. The rotation’s back to fearsome, and the Bombers are a threat again. It’s not a cheap fix, and the prospect cost would sting, but for a win-now team, it’s the kind of move that could save the season.
Of course, it’s not that simple. The Diamondbacks see themselves as contenders—Gallen said as much on Foul Territory just last week—and they’re not itching to deal him unless the wheels fall off. Plus, the Yankees aren’t the only ones who’d be in the mix; any contender needing a starter would be sniffing around. And with payroll already north of $271 million, Cashman’s got to weigh the financial hit of taking on Gallen’s salary now and potentially extending him later.
For now, the Yankees are stuck patching holes. Stroman’s a wildcard—he’s got the swagger but hasn’t been a workhorse lately. Warren’s a lottery ticket—flashing promise in spring but unproven in the bigs. Fried and Rodón can carry the load for a while, but if either of them blinks, this thing could unravel fast. Gallen’s the dream, the guy who could turn a crisis into an opportunity. But until the Diamondbacks blink, the Yankees are left scrambling, hoping their depth holds up and their fans don’t lose their minds on social media. Ten days to Opening Day, and the clock’s ticking louder than ever.
