Yankees announce ace Gerrit Cole Will had surgery on Tuesday for Tommy John. Dr. Neal Elattrache will perform the process. The team will provide further updates after the surgery, but there is no doubt that the 2023 Cy Young champion will miss the entire 2025 season.
Cole, 34, underwent a diagnostic test on his elbow last week. He told reporters he was “concerned” about the results of the initial test, but expressed some hope that a second opinion could alleviate his worst concerns. Unfortunately, Cole’s appointment with Dr. Elattrache today only confirmed that the right-hander needed Tommy John to fix the UCL tear on his pitching arm.
It was a blow to the dominant Al champion. The typical recovery schedule for Tommy John’s surgery is about 12-18 months. Last season, there was no Cole in New York without Cole to survive, and elbow inflammation kept him away until mid-June. This year, the Yankees will have to end without a first-place starter. They must be glad they won the bid war to sign The biggest explosion This offseason, the two All-Star signings to an eight-year, $218mm deal. Now, Nanzha will lead a rotation, and will Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt. The end of the new five years begins, which may be Marcus Stroman (The Yankees are sure to be happy that they didn’t trade in the offseason) and senior pitching prospects Will Warren. Last year’s rookie of the year, Louis Gillwill miss the beginning of the year due to LAT pressure, but is expected to return sometime in June. Non-member invitation Carlos Carrasco is another arm that provides a depth of rotation. That group of starters could still form a fully capable start rotation for competitive clubs, but the error bar is now wider and there is no doubt that the Yankees Danger World Series contenders would be less dangerous without Cole.
It is presumably the Yankees will consider their options to upgrade the external rotation. Free agents available include Kyle Gibson,,,,, Lance Lynnand Spencer Turnbullalthough none of these names provide the Yankees lost stellar power. So if General Motors Brian Cashman wants to find a rotating alternative to Cole, he will have to turn to the trade market. Some of the most interesting potential trade candidates include Sandy Alcantara Marlin, Louis Castillo Sailors and Dylan stops and Michael King Priest. Latest reports on all of these pitchers suggest that offseason trades are unlikely, but the desperate Yankees can certainly change that.
The Yankees had a chance to go against six All-Stars in the offseason, when Cole triggered his exit clause in November. The team could have blocked his opt-out by adding another year and 36mm contract ending, which they chose not to. However, both sides eventually agreed to stick with it, as if Cole never triggered his opt-out, and the Yankees left him for four years, with 144mm left in his original guaranteed deal. In other words, while the Yankees may have concerns about Cole’s lifespan, they dare not worry that his elbow troubles will quickly lift their heads again.
From 2017-22, Cole led all pitchers with 173 starts and 1070 2/3 innings. He dealt with some elbow inflammation in 2016, but since then his only IL has been attributed to the Covid-19 regimen. Cole has been a main force in a growing situation of arm injuries and constant effort, over 200 innings in the past decade in a season six times. Sadly, his healthy season run ended last year, and this upcoming season will be the first to have Cole not compete since 2012. Instead, he will turn his attention to recovery in an effort to miss the 2026 campaign.
