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The one rotation risk Yankees might have to take at non-tender deadline

You gotta know when to let go.
ByMatthew Swigonski
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Jun 21, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt (36) is greeted by catcher J.C. Escarra (25) after leaving the game in the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Jun 21, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt (36) is greeted by catcher J.C. Escarra (25) after leaving the game in the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

From a relationship that has clearly seen better times to that pair of socks barely hanging on by a thread, sometimes you just have to know when it is time to say goodbye. For the New York Yankees, they may be facing a similar situation with pitcher Clarke Schmidt. Even with all of his upside, it is becoming increasingly difficult to justify his spot on the roster moving forward. For a team looking to restore its former mystique, it’s time to rip off the Band-Aid and move on.   

According to the MLB Trade Rumors arbitration prediction model, Schmidt could be looking at a $4.5 million salary in 2027, which is exactly what he made in 2026. While not an enormous sum of money, it’s still a hefty salary for a pitcher who has just 31 appearances over the last three seasons. Schmidt may end up thriving for another team in 2027, but the Yankees would benefit from cutting ties with him at the non-tender deadline. If they do agree with him on a one-year contract, it will be his walk year, and his Yankees career appears to be approaching its endpoint either way.

It could be a risky move parting ways with a potential starter, especially in the event of multiple injuries in the rotation. However, Schmidt himself has only pitched in one full season as a starter for the Yankees during his seven-year career. Following a solid year out of the pen in 2022, the Yankees slid the righty into the rotation. As a back-end starting pitcher, Schmidt projected to be a fairly effective option. 

In 2023, he threw 159 innings in 32 starts. Overall, it was a bit of a mixed bag of results. His 4.64 ERA and 1.352 WHIP were nothing to write home about, but he finally proved to be healthy enough to pitch from April to September out of the rotation. He pitched into the seventh inning just three times in 2023, providing minimal length for the Yankees. But it was a start.

With his season high in strikeouts capped out at eight, he was never particularly dominant in any single performance. But once again, there was plenty to build off of and look forward to as he progressed in his career. He showed brief glimpses of that potential in 2024 and 2025, but injuries limited him to just 164 innings pitched in that time frame. That's been the overarching theme of his career.

It's never easy to part ways with a once high-valued prospect, but the Yankees have to think about their future if they want to succeed in the long run. That means letting Schmidt walk.

The Yankees can't afford to wait around for Clark Schmidt 

Despite his own ups and downs, Will Warren has essentially stepped up and filled in as the flex starter on the pitching staff. That has made Schmidt something of a redundancy on the roster. With Warren at just over two years of service time, he will also cost a fraction of Schmidt’s salary for the same position. That means that the Yankees could save a decent chunk of change while retaining a similar pitcher. 

Beyond the ability to save money by cutting Schmidt, the Yankees also have a number of young arms in their minor league system. This could make the team's decision much easier as they approach the non-tender deadline. We've already seen the team test out Elmer Rodriguez in the big leagues in 2026. They could look to continue that trend next season. 

The arrival of Carlos Lagrange has been highly anticipated among Yankees fans for what seems like a full decade. While he's had mixed results over his time in the minor leagues, his wipeout stuff is almost too tempting to hold off on any longer. With Schmidt still in the picture, he could block Lagrange from seeing any substantial innings in 2027. That would be a mistake. 

Schmidt could be one of those “what if” players that fans will talk about for years. As a former top prospect, he was hindered by injuries that ultimately prevented him from taking that next step in his development. He won't be remembered as an all-time great in Yankees history, but he certainly had his moments. With that said, it's simply time to let him go. 

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