An All-Star pitcher will be a potential steal for Yankees before deadline

New York still needs a lift in the rotation, and one All-Star could be an option.

This season, the New York Yankees have a legitimate shot of winning the World Series.

New York is one of baseball’s top teams. The Yankees had great hopes for the 2024 season, and they have met them thus far despite a slew of severe injuries.

The Yankees are one of only two teams in the American League with 19 victories, while Gerrit Cole, the 2023 American League Cy Young Award winner, has yet to appear in a game. New York should receive some reinforcements shortly, and things could improve significantly.

Internal alternatives will undoubtedly help as players begin to recover from injuries, but the Yankees may also consider making a few deals before the deadline. New York’s starting rotation might still use some help, and Oakland Athletics pitcher Paul Blackburn was mentioned as a potential trade candidate by Yanks Go Yard’s Adam Weinrib.

“Paul Blackburn, Oakland A’s: Blackburn and his devastating changeup will likely represent the most desired trade deadline package, and deservedly so,” Weinrib said in a statement. “Blackburn, a 2022 All-Star on a disappointing A’s club, is expected to repeat the honor this summer. His 2.03 ERA will eventually normalize, but Blackburn is a solid starter who might be the type of mid-ceiling option the Yankees require to give length this summer.

“They saw it firsthand this week, too, as they hit him for four runs in the first inning before seeing him go on to pitch five more shutout innings. There will be a bidding battle here, but Oswald Peraza could like Sacramento. “Blackburn has been under team control for a year and a half.”

This is not the first time Blackburn has been considered as a candidate for New York, and it’s easy to see why. The one-time All-Star has a 3.34 ERA and a 28-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio in six starts this season, and he might assist the team down the stretch and into the playoffs.