The New York Yankees might have the chance to steal a starting pitcher from a division rival.
New York looks like a World Series contender entering Sunday at 39-24, the fourth-best record in Major League Baseball.
Surely, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will be looking to add a key piece before the July 31 MLB trade deadline to lean into New York’s exciting title hopes, and starting pitching should be a priority for Cashman.
Max Fried and Carlos Rodón have been elite in 2025, but as Luis Gil works his way back into form in the coming weeks, Cashman would be wise to snag another impact arm to plug into the rotation as insurance.
This is a scenario that was mulled over by Heavy.com’s Nathan Dougherty this week as Dougherty — citing a report from The Athletic’s Bowden — asserted that New York could take advantage of a sale happening in Baltimore.
Per Bowden, the Orioles, amid their surprisingly dreary season of losing, will be open to trading two of their starters on expiring contracts: Zach Eflin and Charlie Morton.
Eflin would be a nice piece for New York, wrote Dougherty:
“Eflin could be an effective addition to the back of the rotation for the Yankees, going 5-2 so far this season with a 4.47 ERA. Eflin is in the final season of his three-year, $40 million contract and could be a top trade piece for the Orioles.”
Eflin, 31, has already pitched for two American League East clubs, the Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays. He also pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies between 2016 and 2022, an experience that would make his transition to a big-market baseball team like the Yankees more seamless than some might expect.
Eflin is a target who makes a ton of sense for the Yankees. It’ll be interesting to see how the market shakes out and where Cashman turns for reinforcements.