Pitching Is An Urgent Matter For The Yankees!

Let’s just be honest: the Yankees’ starting rotation is a mess right now. You know it, I know it—and yeah, you’re probably sick of me harping on it over at Bleeding Yankee Blue, but it’s still mind-blowing that the Yankees front office saw the same storm coming and still chose to do… absolutely nothing.

Now here we are, midseason, scrambling for reinforcements. The rumor mill is spinning fast with potential trade targets, and one interesting new name that’s popped up? Miles Mikolas of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Athlon Sports recently made the case:

“If the Yankees intend to save their season, they must call the Cardinals about veteran starting pitcher Miles Mikolas. Mikolas, a two-time All-Star and one of the league’s more dependable innings eaters, makes plenty of sense for the Yankees. His durability alone—he’s started at least 30 games in every full season since 2018, and he pitched in nine of the Cardinals’ 60 games during the shortened 2020 campaign—should instantly appeal to a Yankees team missing Gerrit Cole (season-ending elbow surgery) and Luis Gil (lat).”

And honestly, they’re right. Mikolas makes sense on paper and in reality. He’s been consistent, durable, and knows what it’s like to pitch under pressure. That’s exactly the type of arm the Yankees could use to stabilize this rotation and keep the bullpen from being run into the ground every night.

The big question, of course, is whether a deal is actually possible. Mikolas is in the final year of a three-year, $55.7 million contract. That makes him both appealing and affordable as a short-term solution. But this is a trade scenario, and the Yankees can’t be choosy when they’re clearly in a bind.

The Yankees do have prospects to offer—some good, some really good. One name that always gets thrown around in these situations is Spencer Jones. Personally, I’m not sold on the idea of shipping him out, but hey, it all depends on the return.

What’s certain is that upgrading this rotation needs to be a priority, not an afterthought. A reliable starter like Mikolas could make a real difference and ease the load on a bullpen that’s already overworked and overstretched.

Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about Mikolas until I read that Athlon piece yesterday—but now? I’m all in on the idea. It makes sense. It’s realistic. The only question left is, who do we give up to get him?

Stay tuned.