Yankees Looking To Land Star Pitcher In Blockbuster Trade This Offseason

It sounds like the Yankees may be looking to land one of the top young pitchers in baseball

The New York Yankees are looking to improve the starting rotation this offseason and are looking into multiple hurlers to do just that. 

New York is heavily pursuing Orix Buffaloes star Yoshinobu Yamamoto at this moment, but it's unclear if it will be able to land him. There is stiff competition for the young hurler's services and ultimately only one team will be able to sign him.

If the Yankees miss out on Yamamoto, they will turn their attention elsewhere in their pursuit of another ace. One player whose name has come up as a trade candidate is Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

"The White Sox are talking to clubs about Cease, but still seem inclined to wait until after (Yoshinobu Yamamoto) and company sign, believing the urgency of teams that strike out on those pitchers will only increase," Rosenthal said. "Cease, who is under club control for two more seasons, remains an obvious target for the (Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles), who are not involved with the top free agents. 

"But he also is a possibility for other teams monitoring the trade market, a group that includes the Yankees, (San Francisco Giants), (Atlanta Braves), and (Texas Rangers."

Cease may not be as big of a name as Yamamoto this offseason, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't be a major upgrade for New York. The righty had a down year in 2023 but is just 27 years old and has a career 3.83 ERA in five seasons. He finished second in the American League Cy Young Award voting in 2022 after logging a minuscule 2.20 ERA in 32 starts. 

A trade likely would cost a lot as Cease has two years of control, but New York has the farm system and the need for another top hurler to get a deal done.