The clouds continue to darken in New York Yankees territory as word spreads that standout pitcher Gerrit Cole will require Tommy John surgery and miss the whole 2025 season. So, what does this news signify for the Boston Red Sox’s future prospects?
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Cole will have Tommy John surgery on Tuesday to repair a ruptured right ulnar collateral ligament and will not throw for the Yankees this season.
This is major news because Cole is easily the Yankees’ top pitcher, and the Red Sox will benefit greatly from his injury. Does this mean the Red Sox are the favorite in the American League East? Do the Yankees try to trade for a top-tier starter? There are numerous perspectives to take from this.
Cole was recently beaten during Spring Training, which raised immediate concerns. The Yankees, who recently won their first World Series title since 2009, are off to a rocky start. Juan Soto left New York in free agency to join its cross-city rival. Giancarlo (postseason hero) Stanton is also expected to miss the rest of the season due to elbow problems, and now there’s news about Cole.
One could even argue that Boston now has a better club on paper than the Yankees after strengthening the middle of their lineup with the addition of Alex Bregman and addressing starting pitching deficiencies. Baseball has a weird way of playing itself out in a variety of ways, and while it’s tempting to overreact to such major news, only time will tell what this means for both Boston and New York in one of baseball’s most intense rivalries.
