It’s hard to imagine a worse preseason update than the one the New York Yankees got after franchise ace Gerrit Cole reported “discomfort” in his pitching elbow and trouble recovering after a single Spring Training start and a simulated game.
Manager Aaron Boone told reporters that the pitcher is heading to Los Angeles to visit a specialist, but he is expected to miss “at least” one to two months of the season even before the results of that visit are known.
Examining the next steps for the Yankees as they await to hear more news about the severity of the issue, ESPN’s Buster Olney suggested that the lack of public clarity around Cole’s recovery timeline could mean the worst.
“Now, his prognosis looks to be anything from a month to a season,” Olney wrote. “If Cole’s injury is catastrophic, this might help to explain the Yankees’ near-silence in the past 48 hours about their ace’s status.”
The New York Yankees Could Be Seeking a Trade or Free Agent to Replace Gerrit Cole
Olney added that the Yankees might realize that they will be without Cole for an extensive stretch, but want to keep that information as private as possible as they seek leverage in trade discussions. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman had re-engaged the Chicago White Sox on a trade for pitcher Dylan Cease shortly after Cole’s injury surfaced. Cease was ultimately traded to the San Diego Padres.
“Depending on the severity of Cole’s injury, Cashman might be under … pressure in these hours,” according to Olney.
Meanwhile, the cost of a premier free agent pitching replacement like Blake Snell has been seen as prohibitive for a Yankees team that is above the highest luxury tax threshold. But if Cole’s injury turns out to be so severe that it impacts the nine-year, $324 million contract that he signed in 2019, that might change.
“According to industry sources the Yankees insured Cole’s contract, and depending on how long he is out, they will receive some financial relief that would help offset costs, if not the luxury taxes,” Olney reported. “But if Cole’s absence is short, that cost in dollars — as well as draft pick compensation — might be too onerous for the Yankees’ taste.”
With Gerrit Cole Injured, the New York Yankees Face Serious Roster Questions
MLB insider Bob Klapsich reported that there’s no tear in Cole’s elbow, which means he can avoid a season-ending injury and return to the mound after “conservative therapy.” However, even that diagnosis wouldn’t clear the team from catastrophe.
“A fraying of the UCL, no matter how minor, even if it’s undetectable in an MRI, is the beginning of a much more serious problem,” Klapsich added. “A rupture is likely to happen… Head it off now and you lose only one season, instead of parts of two should a blowout occur later in the summer.”
Further evaluations may not find a tear but they’re sure to find the results of 11 seasons and 1,859 innings. That would be “catastrophic” news for the Yankees if it means Cole has to miss any more than the earliest parts of the 2024 season.
Even with an understanding that there is no replacing an arm like Cole’s, the Yankees are struggling to determine a substitute for Opening Day, let alone an arm capable of pitching at the top of the rotation.
If the Yankees can’t answer some of those questions soon, their silence on Cole will become loud enough.
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