The New York Yankees are already battling injuries for 2026, and the 2025 World Series hasn’t even begun yet. With starting pitchers Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt and Carlos Rodón expected to miss the beginning of the season with injuries already, it’s time to think creatively about how to shore up the rotation with huge holes in it.
On a list of possible starters the Yankees should shop in the offseason, Fansided’s Stephen Parello named Merrill Kelly of the Texas Rangers as a strong option to fill the space Rodón will leave in the beginning of the season.
“Merrill Kelly makes sense for the Yankees in more ways than one,” Parello wrote. “The 37-year-old has spent the last six-and-a-half years, prior to being traded to the Texas Rangers at the deadline, navigating the NL West gauntlet and having success. Being no stranger to neutralizing high-powered offenses will serve him well in the AL East.”
“After failing to crack the big league roster as a youngster, the former Tampa Bay Rays draft pick tried his luck over in Korea. Since he returned stateside, he’s been a quality arm, posting a 3.77 career big league ERA, while looking even better in 2025 with a 3.52 mark. He’s also relatively durable, tossing 158 or more innings in four of the last five seasons.”
Sep 21, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Merrill Kelly (23) throws the ball during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
“Lastly, Kelly’s a southpaw who would keep a second lefty in the rotation while Rodón is on the mend. A one or maybe two-year contract, at mid-level money, is all it would take to get this done.”
Kelly and His Fit With Yankees
Kelly, who made his MLB debut in 2019 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, would be entering his eighth season in the majors. He had a 3.52 ERA in 2025 over 32 starts, with a 12-9 record and 167 strikeouts. He was a popular trade deadline name for the Yankees as well, especially as they scrambled to replace Clarke Schmidt, but the decision to hold off on signing another starter paid off and Cam Schlittler’s breakout role was born out of that choice. Now, with Cole’s recovery timeline pushed even further back, and Rodón’s recovery timeline now a factor, this might be the perfect time for Kelly.
Max Fried and Schlittler remain healthy, and will likely make up the heart of the rotation after strong 2025 seasons. Schlittler was just called up this season, and after a postseason start against the Boston Red Sox etched him into the Yankees history books, fans are excited to see what he can do in his first full season in pinstripes. The Rodón injury and subsequent surgery was the most baffling news in the immediate aftermath of 2025, as Rodón had pitched in the postseason and nothing had come out about him being hurt. The Yankees should certainly prioritize finding at least an interim solution on the mound, and Kelly might be their guy.
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