The New York Yankees entered 2024 with high expectations. As spring turns to summer, could general manager Brian Cashman try adding to the Bombers’ rotation mix by pursuing Oakland Athletics hurler Paul Blackburn?
While discussing some of MLB’s top trade targets, Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly listed New York as one of the “ideal landing spots” for the 2022 All-Star hurler.
“Blackburn should draw widespread interest on the trade market, because it projects to be a weak crop of pitchers available and he can’t become a free agent until after the 2025 season,” he said.
“The veteran right-hander might actually make the most sense for a team that’s in the mix for a playoff spot but expects to be even better in 2025. The Mets, Brewers, Tigers and Giants are all among the teams that could hedge their bets at the trade deadline, looking like buyers by trading for Blackburn, knowing even if they fall out of the race, he’ll be part of their rotation next season.”
Blackburn is making $3.45 million this year with the A’s, per Spotrac. He’s produced a 2-1 record with a 2.03 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 23 strikeouts in his first 31 innings (five starts).
How Blackburn Could Fit Into the Yankees’ Rotation Mix
Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole is rehabbing from nerve inflammation and edema in his right elbow. His rehab process is going well, and the ace is progressing toward getting back on a mound soon, per the New York Post’s Greg Joyce.
While he’s sidelined, manager Aaron Boone’s starting five consists of Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes and Luis Gil, per FanGraphs’ Roster Resource. Cody Poteet, Clayton Beeter and Will Warren are next on the depth chart in the minors. However, a lot of New York’s pitching depth was sent to the San Diego Padres in December to acquire outfielders Trent Grisham and Juan Soto.
Just about every team could use more pitching. That’s especially the case for those with postseason aspirations like the Yankees. Acquiring Blackburn would help if Cole suffered a setback during his rehab. It could also help if the bad 2023 injury luck follows Rodon or Cortes in 2024.
The 30-year-old right-hander isn’t scheduled to hit free agency until after 2025. So, whichever team does acquire him would get a boost for both the stretch run and next season.
Would the Yankees Trade for Another Oakland Pitcher?
Could Cashman shy away from trading with the A’s simply because of recent events? The Yankees have acquired two Oakland aces via midseason trades over the past decade. Neither transaction worked out for New York.
Sonny Gray was the first to land in the Bronx at the 2017 trade deadline. He posted a 3.72 ERA in 65.1 innings down the stretch. However, the 2018 season didn’t go well. It resulted in a 4.90 ERA in 130.1 innings. New York traded him to the Cincinnati Reds ahead of 2019, where he went on to have an All-Star campaign.
Frankie Montas was the more recent occurrence, and it was more of a disaster. The Yankees acquired him at the 2022 trade deadline. He struggled to a 6.35 ERA in 39.2 innings and threw just one postseason inning. A spring training injury also limited him to just 1.1 innings in 2023.
Could the third time be a charm for Cashman and Oakland? It’ll partially depend on two things. One is how the pitching trade market shakes out in the coming weeks. The other is what the Yankees feel like they’ll eventually need to bolster their roster.
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