Yankees’ pitcher trade they must pivot to after losing out on Edward Cabrera to Cubs

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Yankees’ pitcher trade they must pivot to after losing out on Edward Cabrera to Cubs

Joey Mistretta, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Wed, Jan 7, 2026 ·

3 min read

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The Miami Marlins and Chicago Cubs agreed to an Edward Cabrera-led trade on Wednesday. The New York Yankees were linked to a potential Cabrera trade with the Marlins before the Cubs deal came to fruition. It has been a quiet offseason for the Yankees, and adding another starter should be a priority. So, today we are going to take a look at one trade New York must consider making.

Before diving into the deal, it's worth noting that the starting rotation already has potential. Gerrit Cole , Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmitt are continuing to recover from injuries, but Max Fried is capable of leading the way as an ace. Cam Schlittler was a pleasant surprise this past season. Luis Gil and Will Warren are other rotation options.

Adding a starting pitcher is arguably a necessity for the Yankees. Of course, they could always sign a veteran starter to provide depth. However, this is the New York Yankees we are talking about. There was a time when they were in on almost every star.

And sure, signing a star pitcher in free agency is an option, but there is a specific starter available in trade talks who makes even more sense.

Yankees must consider MacKenzie Gore trade

Tarik Skubal would be a tremendous acquisition for New York. Although the reigning American League Cy Young winner has been discussed in trade rumors, there is a chance that the Detroit Tigers will end up holding onto Skubal . Even if they trade him, acquiring Skubal would require giving up top prospects and potentially big league talent as well.

Meanwhile, Washington Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore has become one of the better pitchers in the game and wouldn't cost as much as Skubal in a trade. Gore is also only 26 years old and is under team control through 2027.

Despite finishing 2025 with a 4.17 ERA, Gore earned his first All-Star selection. He set a new career-high with 185 strikeouts across 159.2 innings of work as well. Walks can be an issue at times for him, but the southpaw features electric stuff when he's on his game.

Once a highly-regarded prospect in the San Diego Padres ' farm system, Gore was part of the 2022 trade that sent Juan Soto to San Diego from Washington. While the left-hander has yet to emerge as a Cy Young-caliber hurler, he features that kind of ceiling.

At 26, it would not be surprising by any means to see Gore truly break out and reach his full potential within the next year or two. One may even argue that acquiring him now would be a buy low move — which is a shocking thought given the fact the 26-year-old was an All-Star in 2025.

What Yankees may need to give up for Gore

The Nationals are going to want a lofty trade return for Gore. New York may need to include Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones in a deal. The outfielders feature high ceilings, and the Nationals could want to center a trade around at least one of them.

The Yankees would probably need to give up at least three star prospects. Washington may ask for two of their top five guys in the farm system. New York could even end up surrendering three of their top 10 prospects to bring in Gore.

Regardless of how the trade ends up looking, trading for MacKenzie Gore is a move the Yankees should make. He's that good of a pitcher, and his ceiling is worth the risk of giving up prospects.

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