4 questions the Yankees need to answer about the 2024 starting rotation

The Yankees' starting rotation is perhaps at a crossroads this offseason, and the front office has plenty of decisions on their hands with how to better prepare the staff for 2024.

They have a varied collections of arms: one established ace in Gerrit Cole; a few solid up-and-comers in Clarke Schmidt and Michael King; some guys coming off injury-riddled 2023 seasons like Carlos Rodón and Nestor Cortes; and a ton of upper minors depth.

It's assumed the Yankees' front office will be adding and subtracting from this unit in order to make the unit more efficient and supplement other areas of the roster, but they'll have to answer some pressing questions about their internal and external options as that plan comes into focus.

4 questions the Yankees need to answer about the 2024 starting rotation

Will they sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto?

The Yankees have been heavily linked to Yamamoto ever since Brian Cashman's September visit to Japan to watch the right-hander pitch live. Since then, he's finished his platform season with a better ERA than countrymen Masahiro Tanaka, Yu Darvish, and Daisuke Matsuzaka did in theirs, and threw a 14-strikeout complete game in the Japan Series to put the icing on the cake.

Yamamoto might be the best Japanese pitcher who has ever looked to make the jump to MLB so far, but this is no secret to rival front offices. The Yankees should expect to find themselves in a bidding war with the Mets and other suitors.

If Yamamoto is really the game changer he's been lauded as, the Yankees should stop at nothing in their pursuit. Pitchers that have thrown a full season's workload of innings are the most valuable commodities in today's market, and at just 25 years old, Yamamoto looks to be a better long-term option than just about anyone who would be available in free agency or via trade.

The right-hander sits 93-95 MPH with his fastball (he's topped out at 99), and has impeccable control of his secondary stuff, which includes a cutter, curveball and splitter. He would slot in at the number two spot in the Yankees' rotation and stay there for years to come.

What can they expect out of the young guys?

Perhaps more than any other team in baseball, the Yankees' upper minor leagues are loaded with guys who project to be solid big-league arms. Some of them have had brief stints with the major league club, but most haven't, and all of them are still question marks to some degree.

Starting with guys who have big league experience, it seems like Randy Vásquez is primed for a bigger role in the rotation in 2024. He's currently the sixth man on the depth chart, but with the low number of innings pitched out of the rotation by Rodón, Nestor Cortes, and Michael King last season, Vásquez could be called upon often when you bake in the inevitable injuries/rest periods.

Vásquez pitched to a stellar 2.89 ERA over 37.2 innings in 2023, but his 10.8% walk rate and 4.98 FIP suggests he still has work to do. He'll need to learn how to pitch on the edge of the zone before he can gain the full trust of the Yankees.

Two other familiar young arms who could make starts in 2024 are Jhony Brito and Luis Gil. Brito made the Opening Day roster in 2023 and struggled early on, pitching to a 6.32 ERA in 52.2 innings of work as a starter. He ended up looking a lot better in the bullpen, where his fastball-changeup mix played better, and put up a 1.43 ERA in 37.2 innings there. Gil spent most of 2023 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and made two rehab appearances in Single-A where he struck out six batters in four innings.

Aside from this crew, the Yankees have a few promising young arms waiting in the wings at Triple-A, who should get starts as the front office looks to limit innings of oft-injured veterans. The most notable arms of this group are Will Warren, Richard Fitts and Clayton Beeter the Yankees' Nos. 10, 16, and 12 prospects.

Warren spent most of last season in Triple-A, pitching to a 3.61 ERA in 99.2 innings. He'll need to work on his command and limit his walks and homers, but his stuff should play at the big league level. Beeter, too, has incredible stuff, but got bit by the homer bug in 71 innings at Triple-A and will likely need to figure things out before getting the call. Fitts received his promotion after a strong season in Somerset, but also will need to figure out hitters at Scranton before being trusted in the big leagues.

Ultimately, the Yankees have a lot of options waiting in the minors if one of their top five guys goes down, but nobody who can be relied on for a full season's workload, even as a number five starter. It's good to know that help is there when the major league team will inevitably need it, but it shouldn't stop the Yankees from exploring more proven options.

Which pitchers can be dangled for lineup help?

While major league teams can never have enough pitching, the Yankees' biggest need this offseason is an impact bat(s). There are a few options out there on the free agent market, but the most intriguing ones seem to be those waiting to be traded.

Considering how much upper minors pitching depth the Yankees have on their hands, it seems that it would be the optimal place to trade from. The question is, which arms will potential trade partners be interested in?

The rumors so far this offseason have the Yankees interested in Juan Soto, Brendan Donovan and/or Alec Burleson from the Cardinals, and Manuel Margot from the Rays. Considering the lack of control and the $12 million guaranteed to Margot, he likely wouldn't cost one of the Yankees' top arms.

But if the Yankees go after Soto, they'll need to pay up. Not only would they be trading for arguably the most valuable asset on the market, but they'll be dealing with Padres GM AJ Preller, who is no slouch in evaluating talent.

With Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, and Nick Martinez all opting out of their deals in San Diego, the Padres would likely be interested in someone like Schmidt, who could instantly slot in in the middle of their rotation and provide at least 150 innings.

If the Yankees decide to deal with the Cardinals instead, they could find themselves parting ways with some of their more controllable talent, such as Warren, Beeter, and/or Vásquez. The Cardinals are in more of a rebuild mode, so they might be inclined to take on major-league-ready pitchers who have yet to debut.

Of course, if the Yankees trade from their depth, they'll likely have to add some proven veteran talent. Perhaps Frankie Montas is brought back on a prove-it deal. Maybe they turn to a veteran like Wacha to fill those innings. The number of paths the front office could take is what creates intrigue, but they need to get it right.