The Yankees are in trouble. Gerrit Cole’s season-ending Tommy John surgery adds to a mounting injury crisis that’s already claimed Giancarlo Stanton and Luis Gil. With free agency options exhausted, Brian Cashman needs to hit the trade market to keep the Yankees atop the American League.
St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Erick Fedde has emerged as a potential target, according to Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut, who listed five starters the Yankees could pursue.
“New York ultimately might not be willing to overreact to the Gerrit Cole injury with a blockbuster trade for another All-Star starter. If that’s the case, the St. Louis Cardinals have reportedly made Erick Fedde available,” Johnson wrote. “In 2024, he compiled a 3.30 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across 177.1 innings pitched with the Cardinals and Chicago White Sox. He showed real improvements after a season spent playing in Korea, though, he did have a 5.41 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in his first six seasons with the Washington Nationals.”
Fedde’s resurgence last season with the White Sox and Cardinals transformed him into a reliable middle-rotation arm. The timing works for both sides. St. Louis is in rebuild mode and looking to create opportunities for younger arms like Michael McGreevy. For the Yankees, Fedde offers a dependable innings-eater who can hold down a rotation spot until Gil returns.
What makes Fedde particularly appealing is the likely modest prospect cost. He’s in the final year of his contract at just $7.5 million, so the Yankees wouldn’t be taking on a massive financial commitment either.
Even without Cole, the Yankees could still piece together a competitive rotation for 2025 with Fedde as a bridge solution. The move wouldn’t be splashy, but it’s the kind of practical addition that could help weather the storm until reinforcements arrive.
The ball’s in Cashman’s court now. The pressure’s mounting to make a move that keeps the Bronx Bombers in contention without mortgaging the future.
