Why Yankees May Be able to Sign the Cy Young Award

Before Opening Day, will the New York Yankees add another player? Following the elbow injury that sidelined 2023 American League Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole, the Yankees’ starting rotation finds itself in a difficult situation. Cole’s elbow underwent an MRI, and he will be out for at least a month or two. A few players have previously been mentioned in relation to New York as potential candidates to fill Cole’s void. The Yankees already have such a large payroll that it’s doubtful if they will add another player. However, certain players are still up for grabs in free agency.

After losing Cole, Jon Heyman of the New York Post put together a list of the Yankees’ most likely possibilities. Heyman cited controversial 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer as a potential candidate for New York.
“(Trevor Bauer) looked great pitching for Asian Breeze on the back fields at Dodgers camp in his ongoing campaign to try to convince an MLB team to take a chance,” Heyman stated. “He’d likely fit a small-market contender best, but even they haven’t shown a willingness yet to take the PR hit.”Although it wouldn’t seem like the Yankees would be the best place to go, Cole, Bauer’s UCLA teammate, was the first to call Bauer out as having a problematic disposition. It seems inconceivable that the Yankees could make Cole’s ailment worse.”

If Bauer were to sign with the Yankees, it would be extremely surprising. It would be surprising if he made an appearance in a major league game in 2024 given he hasn’t done so since 2021.