Yankees insider provides bleak perspective following Edward Cabrera miss

Now that the New York Yankees have missed out on Edward Cabrera, where can they turn for rotation help? The fit with the now-Chicago Cub was a questionable one at best, and after looking at the price that the Cubs paid to acquire him it's pretty clear that the Yankees dodged a bullet.

Still, a need persists. With Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón set to begin the season on the shelf, the Yankees, as currently constructed, will be dipping into their depth by counting on Ryan Yarbrough to take the ball every fifth day. A setback from either of these critical veterans would only extend how long the club must endure the precarious situation.

That's not factoring in the possibility of another starter going down during spring training. That's been a rite of passage for New York as it gears up for the regular season over the last several years. That kind of bad luck would force Paul Blackburn into the rotation.

Another time-honored Yankees' tradition is the summer swoon. That's what makes the current state of the rotation so dangerous. If the club can't get off to a hot start, they won't be able to survive their annual June-August downturn.

The easy answer is to shift focus to Freddy Peralta. Brian Cashman has been sniffing around him for what seems like an eternity now, and a deal for the Milwaukee Brewers ace would be the ideal solution. The competition is fierce, though.

With that in mind, Yankees insider Chris Kirschner has a bleak reality check coming for fans. With Cabrera off the board, help isn't coming.

Chris Kirschner provides a highly disturbing update regarding Yankees' starting rotation

In his column, Kirschner provides the lay of the land, identifying the likely trade and free agent candidates the club can pursue. Peralta and Washington Nationals lefty MacKenzie Gore were the two trade targets he threw out, while indicating that the free agent tier the Yankees might kick the tires on consists of Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito, and Zack Littell.

Forget Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez, and Zac Gallen. They aren't on the menu.

Here's where the scary part comes in. Kirschner points out that the Yankees don't have the prospect capital to win a bidding war for Peralta. They also probably lose out on Gore, who comes with two years of team control. Given what we've seen Mike Burrows, Shane Baz, and now Edward Cabrera go for, it'll cost an absolute haul to pry away an arm with more than one year of team control.

So what about the free agent options? New York doesn't need another ace. What is necessary is a reliable innings-eater to stabilize the rotation. Kirschner doesn't see the Yankees being willing to pay the price for the likes of Bassitt, Giolito, or Littell, either, even though they're all candidates for relatively affordable one-year deals.

"Perhaps their best option to add depth is for a non-roster invitee to emerge in spring training. Yankees manager Aaron Boone has signaled the club feels comfortable with where its rotation stands," Kirschner wrote.

The other option would be to lean on prospects. Elmer Rodriguez and Brendan Beck would be the top candidates. Rodriguez had a meteoric rise in 2025, but he still only logged five innings in Triple-A after beginning the year at High-A Hudson Valley. Meanwhile, Beck reached Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but posted a 4.44 ERA in 77 innings once he got there.

That brings us back to the minor league free agent/non-roster invitee option. What do you think Carlos Carrasco's up to these days? That kind of move seems to be where this is heading. Ouch.