The New York Yankees will be without their top pitcher for the first game as Gerrit Cole is going to the injured list with discomfort in his pitching elbow as he starts the fifth year of a $324 million contract.
As the Yankees search the free-agent market, trading block and their own farm system for replacements, Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report has ranked 25-year-old righty Clayton Beeter as the team’s best in-house option following an impressive 2.00 ERA in two Spring Training starts so far.
“He’s allowed two runs in nine innings while striking out 11, displaying his impressive slider in the process,” Rymer noted.
Clayton Beeter Emerges as a Surprising Candidate for the New York Yankees Pitching Staff
The list also included fellow right-handed prospects Luis Gil, Yoendrys Gómez and Will Warren, along with eight-year veteran Luke Weaver. But Beeter wins the edge in Rymer’s estimation as Warren is not on the Yankees’ 40-man roster, Gómez has not looked as sharp in spring and Gil has a concerning injury history.
“The catch with Gil, 25, though is that he comes with workload limitations,” he added. “He’s topped out at 108.2 innings in a season, and that was the year before he had Tommy John Surgery in 2022. He may be better suited to a swingman role.”
It’s hard to imagine that any prospect, or even any other proven MLB pitcher, can truly replace Cole in a rotation. But the Yankees might only need a temporary solution as their ace recovers from what MLB insider Bob Klapsich reported as a “clean MRI.”
“I’m betting Cole opts for PRP (therapy) and is back on the mound by late May,” Klapsich wrote. “He knows the window is closing on the Yankees’ championship hopes… My crystal ball says Cole will soon be testing the Yankees with a verdict: ‘I’m in. Give me two months.’”
Though Beeter would be unlikely to see a promotion to Opening Day starter, his minor-league career suggests he might hold his own at the back of the rotation.
Across 26 starts in Double-A and Triple-A in 2023, Beeter maintained a 3.62 ERA and racked up 165 strikeouts. His numbers in Double-A were particularly promising, with a 2.08 ERA in 12 starts before being promoted.
Beeter’s scouting report praises an arsenal that can include three plus pitches, led by a “two-plane” slider that fools hitters.
New York Yankees Prospect Clayton Beeter Flashed Greatness Against the Philadelphia Phillies
Beeter showed potential against major league hitters in a Spring Training matchup with one of the best batting orders in MLB, pitching four scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies.
“Facing a dangerous Phillies lineup, Clayton Beeter was outstanding,” Yahoo! Sports reported. “The righty pitched 4.0 scoreless innings, striking out four Phillies while allowing just two hits. Beeter, 25, is the Yankees’ No. 14 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline, and he certainly looked the part.”
But even if Beeter translates a single preseason performance into a solid big-league debut, there will be no replacing Cole in the Yankees rotation.
“The Yankees have to face a harsh truth, whether they try to trade, sign a free agent, or use a young starter like Gil or Weaver in place of Cole,” ESPN’s Buster Olney mentioned. “As the 2023 season is seen as a crucial one following the disappointments of the previous year, the Yankees will likely be missing the best pitcher in the world.”
