The Yankees’ injury woes just won’t let up. First, it was DJ LeMahieu’s foot. Then Giancarlo Stanton’s elbows. And now, Luis Gil has been sidelined with a lat strain. While the Yankees’ pitching depth remains solid, ESPN’s Paul Hembekides (a.k.a. Hembo) warns that the injuries to LeMahieu and Stanton could seriously dent New York’s offensive production in 2025.

Let’s be real—losing Gil stings, but it’s not a rotation-breaker. Brian Cashman built this staff for durability, and it shows. Even without Gil, the Yankees still trot out Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt, and Marcus Stroman. That’s a rotation most teams would kill for. Plus, with Luke Weaver in the mix and Devin Williams locking down the late innings, New York still ranks among baseball’s best in run prevention.

Hembekides on ESPN Baseball Tonight with Buster Olney this Friday didn’t seem too worried about Gil’s absence either. “Even without Luis Gil moving forward, there aren’t five teams in baseball that I trust definitively more from a run prevention standpoint than the Yankees,” he said. In other words, they’ll survive.

Hembekides sees this as a much bigger problem. “They’re going to score 50, 60, maybe 70 fewer runs,” he warned. And he’s not wrong.

LeMahieu may not showcase the prowess he once did during his batting title reign; however, his knack for reaching base continues to play a crucial role for the team. The Yankees heavily rely on Stanton as their power hitter, along with Aaron Judge. Whenever healthy, the team benefits from his potential to hit 35 to 40 home runs. But health has been a massive “if” in recent years.

So, what now? If LeMahieu and Stanton miss extended time, guys like Gleyber Torres, Anthony Rizzo, and Alex Verdugo need to step up. But can they carry the load? The Yankees’ depth will be tested early, and if the offense sputters, they might have to dip into the trade market sooner rather than later.

The market outlook: Who’s available for the Yankees?

With a relatively weak free-agent market, trade discussions are already heating up as teams assess their rosters for the 2025 season. One of the standout players who may be changing teams is Nolan Arenado. The St Louis Cardinals are said to be considering trading the experienced baseman. Arenados’ skill in hitting toward left field would be advantageous for the Yankees, though his contract and decreasing defensive performance might pose challenges.

Apart from this, Sandy Alcantara is getting noticed on the pitching front even though he sat out the 2024 season because of Tommy John’s surgery—a player, who won the NL Cy Young award in 2022. But teams such as the San Francisco Giants might also be interested in him since they lost Blake Snell to agency recently, making it a little complicated. Additionally, there are trade options to consider, like pitchers from teams having a rough time and powerful hitters who might be up for grabs if their teams start struggling early in the season.

As injuries mount across the league, the trade market could accelerate sooner than usual, with contenders like the Yankees and Dodgers monitoring available talent closely. Now the question is, will Brian Cashman gamble on internal options, or will the Yankees be aggressive in the trade market to stay competitive in the AL East?