LATEST: Yankees considering trade for one elite righty in light of Gerrit Cole’s situation

The New York Yankees seem to be in a hurry with only around two weeks until Opening Day.

The Yankees have reportedly reopened talks with the Chicago White Sox and extended a fresh trade offer for right-hander Dylan Cease, according to a report published on Tuesday by Bob Nightengale of USA Today. According to Nightengale, the Yankees are awaiting word on the health of their own star right-hander, Gerrit Cole, who just had to have an MRI on his throwing elbow and has raised a lot of eyebrows.

Should Cole need to miss a significant amount of time due to injury, the Yankees would have a perfect stand-in in former AL Cy Young runner-up Cease. With over 165 innings worked in each of the last three seasons, he is a durable pitcher with exceptional swing-and-miss ability. Additionally, Cease still has two years left under club control. Earlier this winter, the Red Sox heavily pursued him.

However, Chicago might be losing interest in trade for Cease at this point, so the Yankees would almost surely need to part with at least their best outfield prospect, Spencer Jones, in order to lure them (a move Nightengale claims the team is not yet willing to make). In the event that a deal for Cease cannot be reached, the Yankees could Cease, the past AL Cy Young runner-up, would be a perfect replacement; nonetheless, you must opt for this elite free-agent starter.