The New York Yankees’ pitching staff, already thin, has taken a significant hit with the news that ace Gerrit Cole will be sidelined due to an elbow injury. Cole, in the fifth year of his $324 million contract, is expected to be out until at least June 1, prompting the Yankees to seek additional pitching depth.
To address this gap, the Yankees have promoted 25-year-old Luis Gil to the rotation’s fifth spot and have completed a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-hander JT Brubaker. Brubaker, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in April 2023, is anticipated to return midseason. Along with Brubaker, the Yankees received international signing bonus money from the Pirates in exchange for a player to be named later.
In his three-year tenure with the Pirates, Brubaker has logged 315.2 innings with a 4.99 ERA and 324 strikeouts. During his last fully healthy season in 2022, he made 28 starts with a 4.69 ERA as the Pirates’ Opening Day starter. Despite these numbers not being stellar, there is optimism that the Yankees can help him refine his pitching repertoire and develop him into a viable starter or bullpen option.
“Brubaker showed promising changes in spring 2023 before his injury, including a strong strikeout rate,” Estevao Maximo noted for Pinstripe Alley. “The Yankees might be able to enhance his arsenal, particularly optimizing a sweeper pitch that could be more effective for his profile than the curveball.”
Brubaker’s contract structure adds minimal risk for the Yankees. As reported by Mike Axisa for CBS Sports, he is owed $2.275 million this year and will remain under team control as an arbitration-eligible player through 2025. Additionally, he has two minor league options remaining, allowing the Yankees flexibility to send him to Triple-A if needed without exposing him to waivers.
Looking ahead to the 2024 season, while Brubaker might not immediately fill Cole’s shoes, his potential return could provide much-needed depth. The Yankees’ current rotation relies on injury recoveries not only from Cole but also from Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes. Cortes, in particular, struggled in his season debut against the Houston Astros, giving up four earned runs in five innings, although the team secured the win.
Though Brubaker represents a longer-term project, the Yankees will benefit from his potential return to form. However, even with Brubaker, the team may need additional pitching resources to meet their World Series ambitions.