Gerrit Cole out a couple months, where can the Yankees pivot?

By: Jacob Zanolla

Unfortunate news regarding Gerrit Cole this morning, as Jon Heyman reported that he will be out at least 1-2 months with an elbow injury. While they don’t mention Tommy John Surgery, he is going to visit Dr Neal El Attrache. This is significant because Neal is the main TJ surgeon used around Major League Baseball. Only being out one to two months does not mean Tommy John, which is indeed positive for the Yankees. However, this doesn’t guarantee anything. They aren’t for sure what is wrong, and seem to be taking precautions so he isn’t out long term. If they think he might need Tommy John, I would consider getting it done now so you can get back to competing as soon as possible. He’ll head out to see Dr. El Attrache in California, as El Attrache requested an in person visit. Therefore, it could easily be worse than we think. However, with Cole being one of the best pitchers in baseball, the Yankees are praying it’s not serious.

What are some backup options in the event Cole is out for a long period of time? One of the first names that comes to mind is Blake Snell. Snell is STILL a free agent (this offseason is no fun). While the Angels make the most sense, I have to assume the Yankees called Boras to see if the price has dropped. According to reports, the Yankees have no changed their stance on Snell, which makes sense. They also won’t overpay for Cease, which again is understandable. I do worry about the Yankees rotation if Cole is indeed out, but I guess Cashman is confident he’ll be ok, and doesn’t feel the need to hit the panic button.