Brewers might be Yankees' only savior as starting pitching trade market explodes

Jack Curry has insisted all offseason long that the New York Yankees are likelier to add a starting pitcher via trade than in free agency. If that remains the case, then the Yankees have precious few options to sift through without bankrupting their prospect portfolio.

Dealing for arms with ace potential like MacKenzie Gore and Sandy Alcantara already felt bold, given the Yankees' precarious farm system and inherent monetary advantage. If you're going to struggle to put together competitive trade packages, then why not lean on the one area where you outclass the rest of the league: your financials (don't answer that)?

Now, as the calendar flips, that calculation seems even more foolish. Trades for middling, yet-to-be-unlocked arms like Shane Baz and Mike Burrows have upped the ante on any possible Gore/Alcantara/Edward Cabrera deal. If the Yankees still intend to find their rotation insurance on the trade market, it'll severely cost them - and they probably shouldn't try to measure up. Posturing that you're comfortable with Ryan Yarbrough isn't posturing at all if your trade adversaries are trying to draw blood from your stone.

At this point, the Yankees should either bite the bullet and expand their budget or try desperately to work out a Freddy Peralta deal with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Yankees' best hope for starting pitcher trade could be familiar partner: Milwaukee Brewers and Freddy Peralta

The two sides met last winter for a fruitful trade that involved rental reliever Devin Williams. As much as Milwaukee would love to continue posturing that they'll be asking for the moon in exchange for Peralta, they're going to have to give up the ghost at some point. Rental packages are always more underwhelming than you're expecting, and there's no reason to believe this one deserves to be any different (other than market scarcity).

Nearly two years ago, the Brewers surrendered one season of Corbin Burnes in exchange for scrappy infield prospect Joey Ortiz and up-and-down left-hander DL Hall (oh, and a compensatory draft pick). In retrospect, it looks like a light-hitting, glove-first infielder and an injured swingman was all it took to secure Burnes. At the time? It looked similarly uncertain.

While Milwaukee will almost definitely start their ask with Spencer Jones, who we know they coveted in Yankees-Burnes talks that disintegrated before Baltimore weaseled in, the Yankees might be able to talk them down to a Tier 2 starting pitcher (Luis Gil/Bryce Cunningham) and a pair of wild cards (say, Dillon Lewis and Kaeden Kent, to cover for the "draft pick" they cannot trade).

Of course ... if the Yankees land Cody Bellinger, dealing Jones could work, too. Patience will be a virtue here. After all, there's nothing left to lose, given the way that the rest of the market has materialized. Milwaukee isn't overly enthusiastic about surrendering Peralta in the middle of a competitive window. Publicly, it's because they want to maximize their title chances. Privately? It could be because they know we're right. If they ever come to terms with Peralta's real trade cost, the Yankees should be waiting (unless they feel like flexing their financial might).