Yankees Ponder Life Without Ace as Gerrit Cole Needs Tommy John

The Yankees’ worst fears were confirmed late Monday as ace pitcher Gerrit Cole will undergo Tommy John surgery, taking him out of action for the entire 2025 season, and perhaps a significant chunk of 2026, too.

Cole, the 2023 American League Cy Young Award winner, experienced discomfort in his right elbow following his second spring training start on Thursday. Follow-up tests confirmed the need for the surgery, which will be performed on Tuesday. 

“This isn’t the news any athlete wants to hear, but it’s the necessary next step for my career,” Cole said in an Instagram post. “I have a lot left to give, and I’m fully committed to the work ahead.”

This marks the second straight spring with a significant injury for the 34-year-old, as he was out until June last year with elbow inflammation and edema. After returning, he soon returned to form and helped lead the Yankees to a World Series that drew resurgent viewership. Cole’s latest injury, however, is far more significant and adds to a recent spate of injuries for New York that also includes designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton, infielder DJ LeMahieu, and last year’s AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, who will be out at least three months.

Cole is in the sixth season of a nine-year, $324 million contract, still the 12th largest player deal in MLB history. His offseason, however, had some off-field turbulence, as he initially exercised an opt-out in his Yankees contract, but he quickly reversed course and reached an agreement with the Yankees to honor the terms of the original deal. That pact has four seasons and $144 million left on it. 

The Yankees have insurance on Cole’s contract and will be able to recoup some money against that $144 million owed. When he returns to the mound, he will be nearing his 36th birthday and facing an uphill battle to regain his prior form. 

In the meantime, the Yankees will now elevate $218 million free-agent acquisition Max Fried, a key part of the team’s offseason reconstruction after losing out on retaining Juan Soto, to staff ace. The team currently has a luxury-tax payroll of nearly $294 million, fourth-highest in the league. Internal options to take Cole’s spot in the rotation include rookie Will Warren and non-roster spring training invitees Carlos Carrasco and Allan Winans. Free-agent pitchers still available include Patrick Corbin, Lance Lynn, and Spencer Turnbull.

None of those options, however, are remotely as talented as Cole, and a pitching staff that was seen as a key base of MLB’s second-best bet for the 2025 championship is now looking like more of a liability.