Can the Yankees Pull Off a Trade for Either of These Two Pitching Stars?

After losing Clarke Schmidt to Tommy John surgery this week, the New York Yankees’ pitching rotation is in slight disarray. While the top three of Carlos Rodón, Max Fried, and Will Warren have been strong, Marcus Stroman is still unpredictable since his return from injury. Cam Schlittler’s MLB debut was promising, but there are certainly still questions about whether he can continue to perform at that level the rest of the season. With the MLB Trade Deadline rapidly approaching, it’s been rumored that the Yankees have looked at star pitchers Zac Gallen and Joe Ryan. 

Gallen, the 29-year-old starting pitcher, has been one of the brightest stars in the league since first coming up to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In his career, Gallen has pitched to a 3.51 ERA in 162 total games pitched. The 2025 season has been the worst in Gallen’s career, with a current ERA of 5.15. However, Gallen showed a glimpse of his usual self in his last start against the San Diego Padres, with six innings pitched and zero earned runs. With a new team and a winning mentality, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Gallen return to the 2023 version that made it to the All-Star Game. 

Ryan, a 29-year-old starting pitcher, has been an underrated gem for the Minnesota Twins. In his career, Ryan has pitched to a 3.71 ERA in 102 games pitched. Ryan is currently having the best season of his career, with a 2.71 ERA, and will surpass the most games started in his career since 2022. He was named to the 2025 All-Star roster as a replacement, and it is the first time in his career he has done so. 

While both starters would be great options for the Yankees, they would require a significant swap of prospects. Gallen is a rental and will enter free agency at the end of the season, so it may take less to acquire him. It’s also worth noting that the Yankees could trade for multiple players because of their apparent interest in third baseman Eugenio Suárez as well. Ryan, on the other hand, is under control until the end of the 2027 season and would require a sum of prospects to acquire. It’s assumed that the Yankees would make George Lombard Jr. untouchable, but if they are open to trading their top prospects like Spencer Jones, Bryce Cunningham, and Ben Hess, a deal could be agreed upon.