The New York Yankees lost ace Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery before the season even began. Now, as the All-Star break approaches, Heavy MLB’s Cole Shelton suggests that reigning Cy Young winner Chris Sale could be the perfect solution to their rotation needs.
Despite the return of star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., the Atlanta Braves have struggled and were sitting in fourth place in the NL East as of Thursday. MLB analyst Chris Rose believes Sale could become the top name on the trade market among starting pitchers by late July.
Once plagued by injuries during his time with the Red Sox, Sale has bounced back impressively with the Braves, posting a 2.79 ERA and tallying 107 strikeouts—numbers that will surely attract attention if Atlanta doesn’t reverse course soon.
Shelton floated the idea of the Yankees trading two of their top-10 prospects—outfielder Spencer Jones and lefty Brock Selvidge—to land Sale. However, if the Braves make him available, other teams searching for pitching help will also come calling. The fact that Sale has a team option for next season could further increase his trade value.
With their eyes on a World Series title and still stinging from last year’s Fall Classic disappointment, the Yankees could be more aggressive than usual at this year’s trade deadline.
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