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New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Yankees trade deadline big board: 9 hitters the club could acquire
ATLANTA — The trade deadline is just 10 days away, and the New York Yankees figure to be one of the most aggressive teams. 'We're going to go to town,' Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters earlier this month. 'We're going to do everything we possibly can to improve ourselves and try to match up, and hopefully at the end of it all, we'll have whatever is here on this current roster remaining healthy, and we'll add to it and be proud of that and take our shot.' Advertisement The club tends to trade from its Rule 5 draft-eligible prospects, of which there are several notable names including Rafael Flores, Spencer Jones, Jace Avina, Brendan Beck, Chase Hampton, Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, Cam Schlittler, Henry Lalane and Brock Selvidge. If the Yankees make trades, do not be surprised if some of those players get dealt. Other prospects who could interest other clubs include Carlos Lagrange, Bryce Cunningham, Ben Hess, Griffin Herring and Allen Facundo. The Yankees could use a third baseman, a starting pitcher and multiple relievers. Cashman acknowledged how many needs the club has, but it may be impossible to fill all of them before the end of the month. He said pitching was his biggest priority, but before we break down which pitchers they could target on Wednesday, let's look at some of the hitters who could be of interest to the Yankees. Here are nine names to watch over the next 10 days. (Note: Salary and contract details are listed in parentheses after each hitter.) ($15 million in 2025; free agent at season's end) Suárez could be the biggest prize of the trade deadline. A major-league source told The Athletic that almost every contending team has checked in with the Arizona Diamondbacks about Suárez's availability. Arizona general manager Mike Hazen told MLB Network Radio that he still hasn't decided if his club will be trade deadline sellers. Suárez's fit in the Bronx is obvious. He's on pace for more than 50 home runs, and adding that kind of production to the Yankees' lineup would make the best offense in the sport even deeper. He's been a below-average defender at third base this season, but the Yankees would live with it because of how elite his offense is. Shh our favorite show is on. — Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 20, 2025 Even with Suárez being a rental, the cost to land him may end up being high because several of the top contending teams need third basemen. ($8.75 million in 2025; $8.75 million annually in 2026-29; club option in 2030) Hayes is the opposite of Suárez. He's one of the worst hitters in baseball; his 60 wRC+ ranks third-to-last in MLB. But he's the best defensive third baseman. Hayes has 13 outs above average this season; the next closest is Matt Chapman at five. Advertisement Hayes, who is the son of former Yankees third baseman Charlie Hayes, has some fans in the Bronx. There's belief that his defense could be a legitimate difference-maker, and the Yankees would try to nurse his bat back to health. Hayes has posted above-average rates in exit velocity and hard-hit percentage, so perhaps with some mechanical tweaks he could be at least an average hitter. The 28-year-old is still owed more than $26 million through 2029 — which isn't extreme — but to take on his salary, maybe the Yankees could also get starting pitcher Mitch Keller or reliever David Bednar in a possible deal. ($11.67 million in 2025; $16 million annually in 2026-27) If Suárez was on one end of the spectrum and Hayes the other, McMahon would be somewhere in the middle. Jazz Chisholm Jr. told The Athletic he considers McMahon to be one of the most underrated players in the sport. McMahon has graded out as one of the 10 best defensive third basemen this season, but his offense is below average. Since debuting in 2017, McMahon has never had a season in which he's been at least league average in wRC+, and that's with playing half of his games at hitter-friendly Coors Field. McMahon, a left-handed hitter, may not benefit from playing half of his games at Yankee Stadium. According to Statcast, if McMahon played all of his games at Yankee Stadium, he'd have his lowest home run output among all 30 stadiums. ($5 million in 2025; free agent at season's end) Moncada is having his best season since his breakout year with the Chicago White Sox in 2019. He has a 135 wRC+ in 37 games for the Angels, and it's not a fluke. He's posting his best contact-quality metrics since 2019. Moncada is a poor defender at third base, but he would offer considerably better offense than Oswald Peraza or Jorbit Vivas. Advertisement The price to land Moncada should not be exorbitant in terms of prospect capital, and his salary is reasonable for a rental. ($3.15 million in 2025; third year of arbitration in 2026; free agent in 2027) Urías posted a 114 wRC+ in 2024, but his offense has taken a hit in 2025. He's having the worst offensive season of his career, but he's been one of the top 10 defensive third basemen this year. Orioles general manager Mike Elias told MLB Network Radio that he's listening to trade offers for players who are nearing the end of their contracts. Urías has one more year of club control remaining, but it would make sense for the Orioles to move him if they could. One benefit to Urías is he has positional versatility; he's appeared at first and second base this season and has previously played shortstop. ($6.4 million in 2025; free agent at season's end) Castro has been an above-average bat for three consecutive seasons and is in the midst of his best year since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He's played second base, third base, shortstop, left field, center field and right field this season for the Minnesota Twins. WILLI FAR!!!! — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 19, 2025 Think of Castro as a better version of Oswaldo Cabrera, whom the Yankees love for his versatility. ($6.28 million in 2025; free agent at season's end) Kiner-Falefa could be an upgrade over Peraza and Vivas at third base, but he's more of a bench player than a starter. If the objective was to upgrade Peraza's spot on the bench and also acquire someone else, Kiner-Falefa could make sense. He's a below-average hitter whose main value is his versatility. Kiner-Falefa wanted to return to New York when he became a free agent after the 2023 season, but the Toronto Blue Jays paid him more than what the Yankees wanted to spend on a utility infielder. Advertisement ($2 million in 2025; free agent at season's end) The Yankees have been interested in signing Rosario as a free agent for a few seasons now. Rosario is a below-average fielder, but he provides versatility at second and third base. He could also play shortstop in a pinch. He's having his best offensive season since 2022, and with the Washington Nationals in full sell mode, he should be traded by the July 31 deadline. The Yankees should prioritize other players over Rosario, but he would not be a bad backup option. ($1.1 million in 2025; free agent at season's end) Urías should be considered in the Kiner-Falefa category. If the objective is to upgrade Peraza's spot as a bench player, then sure. Urías is a light-hitting second/third baseman, though he has more offensive upside than Peraza. In 2021 and 2022 with the Milwaukee Brewers, Urías was an above-average hitter. (Photo of Eugenio Suarez: Norm Hall / Getty Images)
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
A closer look at Aaron Judge's standout season as Yankees reach the All-Star break
NEW YORK – Generally, the reaction to Aaron Judge's latest home run achievement failed to meet the moment. And that's no knock on anyone in pinstripes who is witnessing the Yankees' captain top his 2024 performance, when he unanimously won the AL MVP award. Advertisement 'I don't know what to say about it,' said Yankees manager Aaron Boone, after Judge recently became the fastest player in terms of games to reach 350 career home runs – obliterating the old mark. 'I just think he's playing in a different league.' Don't ask Judge to frame it with any perspective, either. He'll look back on it later. Maybe next winter. Or when he's writing his Hall of Fame speech. 'I honestly got nothing," Judge said Saturday of reaching homer No. 350 in his 1,088th career game, surpassing the record of Mark McGwire, who got there in 1,280 games. Jul 12, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run for his 350th home run against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images You know the Judge-ian response will be muted, especially after a loss (5-2 to the Cubs). Advertisement 'I've been surrounded by a lot of great teammates, been on some good teams,'' said Judge. 'So, they've really put me in the best position to go out and perform my best.'' In the next two weeks, GM Brian Cashman hopes to put Judge and Company in better position to win a world championship – something that's yet to be done in the Judge Era. Whether or not Judge leads a Yankee team through the confetti-ed Canyon of Heroes will be part of his legacy, and the captain's Octobers haven't matched his magical regular seasons. But the trajectory of this regular season has vaulted Judge to a superior unique level, with a Triple Crown in play and statistical comparisons to the game's all-time great sluggers. Advertisement Aaron Judge's historic 2025 season to-date As MLB's highest vote-getter in the initial All-Star balloting phase, Judge arrives at Tuesday's All-Star Game in Atlanta leading the majors in batting average (.354) and OPS (1.195) and second in home runs (35) and RBI (81). Those 35 homers are the most by a Yankee at the All-Star break, topping his previous mark of 34 set last year. At age 33, here's where Judge ranks among the home run leaders in Yankees history: Babe Ruth 659 Mickey Mantle 536 Lou Gehrig 493 Joe DiMaggio 361 Yogi Berra 358 Alex Rodriguez 351 Aaron Judge 350 By sometime in August, Judge could be fourth on this list, between DiMaggio and Gehrig. And a third MVP would put him with DiMaggio, Berra and Mantle in Yankees lore (A-Rod won two of his three as a Yankee). Jul 10, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge (99) is doused with water after his tenth inning walkoff sacrifice fly against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Judge's 258 total bases are the most by any MLB player before the All-Star Game since its inception in 1933. Advertisement That also makes Judge one of only five MLB players since 1949 to reach 258 total bases to this point. His .355 batting average is the third highest of any Yankee to this point since 1958, remarkable for a pure slugger. And that combination of batting average and power – to this point in a season - ranks him with the likes of only Frank Thomas (35 HR, .357 in 1994), Jimmie Foxx (39 HR, .368 in 1932), and Ruth (36 HR, .362 in 1930; 38 HR, .367 in 1921; 35 HR, .396 in 1920). The league's Aaron Judge strategy With two more homers, Judge will crack into MLB's top 100. But at this home run frequency, with the damage Judge is inflicting on MLB pitching, you wonder if more clubs - especially contenders in the second half - would pass Judge to first base at a higher rate. Advertisement And that includes the Blue Jays strategy of walking Judge with a runner at first base or with none on base, depending on the game situation, as manager John Schneider did in their last series - with Toronto sweeping four games. "He can flip the script with one swing,'' Schneider recently told MLB Network, after intentionally walking Judge five times in those four games. "If we can have someone else beat us, that's the way we're going to approach it,'' said Schneider. "I've got a lot of respect of that guy.'' This article originally appeared on Aaron Judge: Closer look at 2025 as Yankees hit All-Star break
New York Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Talking Yankees trade deadline — and more: Which prospects could they part with?
During a newsy day for the Yankees that included DJ LeMahieu being designated for assignment, general manager Brian Cashman discussing the team's approach to the trade deadline, and Cam Schlittler's call-up and major-league debut, beat writer Brendan Kuty answered questions from The Athletic subscribers on a variety of topics. Advertisement Deadline questions dominated the hourlong discussion, but Kuty also discussed Anthony Volpe, Jasson Domínguez, the team's summer swoons and more. Here are some highlights from Wednesday's live discussion. To see answers to more Yankees questions, read the full Q&A. (Questions and answers have been edited for clarity and length.) On a scale of 1-10, your thoughts on how aggressive the Yankees will be at the deadline? — Ricky O. If trading the entire farm system is 10, I'd say 8.5. They're not going to trade George Lombard Jr. Other prospects though? Spencer Jones has to be on the table. Ben Hess and Bryce Cunningham (as well). Who would be the ideal third-base target at the trade deadline? And in a limited farm system, what prospects could the Yankees trade without trading the top two or three guys? — James L. It depends on who you see as the top two or three guys. Lombard is No. 1. Baseball America had Schlittler as No. 2 in its June update, though the Yankees probably can't trade him because they need the (rotation) depth. As I've written, some teams see Carlos Lagrange as a future All-Star closer, and Cunningham seems to be the best pitcher out of last year's Yankees draft class. But there are a few high-end arms in the system, and the Yankees tend to get a lot out of middle-round guys. In addition, as mentioned above, I think they would be open to trading Jones. As the black hole at third base has gotten bigger … I've changed my stance on Ryan McMahon. In my mind, he could be a Chase Headley 2.0 (hopefully his defense holds up better). But the contract is about the same, and ideally he's batting (fifth or sixth) to lengthen the lineup rather than being one of 'The Guys.' — Gregg S. McMahon has an 82 OPS+ this season and a 91 OPS+ for his career in the majors while playing half of his games at Coors Field. This season , he's hitting .183 with a .580 OPS away from Coors Field. I'm not sure he's the answer. Do you think the Yankees would entertain flipping Trent Grisham for a third baseman or a back-end reliever? Feels like Everson Pereira could be an easy fill-in (as a) late-game defensive replacement and righty bat off the bench. — Dan D. They could, but man, giving up Grisham's defense and his sudden in-game pop would be tough for the Yankees. Though I'm sure they also don't hate the idea of letting Cody Bellinger play center field all the time. Advertisement With Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt (out) for at least a year and no certainty that Luis Gil will be the pitcher he was last year prior to his injury, is now the time to offer the Pirates a package for Paul Skenes that they can't refuse? — Joe D. There isn't a package for Skenes the Yankees could offer that another team couldn't beat. Simple as that. If Skenes were put on the market, the overpay would be wild. What is the explanation for Volpe's failure to develop at the MLB level. His talent overall has been overrated? He is playing out of position and is a true second baseman? Failure to adjust to MLB pitching? Plays tense on both sides of the ball? Pressure of playing in NYC, especially shortstop for the Yankees? — Jjlippman I think he just hasn't taken the next step offensively, for longer stretches, that everybody thought was coming. You see it sometimes. Then you don't. Anecdotally, I feel like pitchers still hammer him with fastballs up, sometimes in, and then try to finish him off with something off the plate, usually a slider. And he bites at it. It results in a rollover grounder or a strikeout. You can do all the work. People can give you all the coaching. It's about making it happen at the plate when there's an opportunity, and he's not doing that as much as everyone thought — and it's more than fair to wonder if that's ever going to happen at this point. You see lots of young players become almost instant stars. You see even more young players show up, hit a wall, and that's what they are. Bottom line: The Yankees do not have a better option right now. He was probably rushed. I didn't love hearing from some Yankees people at the end of Volpe's rookie year that he needed to be given more time because he was young and he skipped Triple A. It was their decision to do that. It doesn't get to become an excuse when you're in the majors. What are your thoughts on Jasson Domínguez? Are those within the organization happy or disappointed with him? How do you see his future playing out? — Arpin I think they're happy with him. He should be a better left fielder and he does still make some head-scratching plays — and, just my opinion, I think he plays defensive defense. I think he's scared to make a mistake and let the ball get past him. That said, he's gotten better out there, he hits well from the left side, he has good at-bats often, he's fast and he works hard. Advertisement If Spencer Jones is what he is, meaning 20/20 (homers, steals) with good center-field defense but 160-plus strikeouts, does that play in the majors? — David G. I feel like you're answering your own question, but leaving out that the pitching in the majors is so much better than it is at Triple A. In the early going, he's striking out 31.1 percent of the time at Triple A. Judge is striking out at a 25 percent rate in the majors and he might K 200 times this year. Jones might K 300 times if he doesn't get better. You can't play that. (Top photo of Spencer Jones: Chris O'Meara / Associated Press)
