Reds could turn a potential Yankees non-tender decision into a rotation upgrade

Blog Red Machine's Drew Koch argues that the Cincinnati Reds should target New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt if he is non-tendered this offseason. Schmidt made only one appearance for New York in 2026 after recovering from Tommy John surgery. With arbitration projections exceeding $4.5 million and 40-man roster crunch ahead of the Rule 5 Draft, the writer believes New York may choose to release the 30-year-old pitcher.

Cincinnati faces significant starting pitching depth issues heading into 2027, with Hunter Greene expected to miss the season and Brady Singer reaching free agency. The writer views Schmidt as an ideal high-risk, high-reward target who posted a 4.02 ERA across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Additionally, Koch suggests fellow Yankees pitcher Luis Gil could be another non-tender candidate worth monitoring.