On the December afternoon Max Fried was formally fitted for pinstripes, the left-hander spoke about looking forward to pairing with Gerrit Cole at the top of the Yankees' rotation, saying that he would be “excited to sit and watch every single one of his starts.

Here are a handful of starting pitchers to watch through the first few months of the season who could, eventually, be traded and help the New York Yankees replace Gerrit Cole.

While the loss of long-time ace Gerrit Cole has no doubt harmed the New York Yankees' hopes in 2025 and stripped them from a steadying presence at the front of the rotation, they do have another ace ready to step into that particular breach.