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New York Times
an hour ago
- Business
- New York Times
Yankees aren't proving worthy of major trade deadline splash right now
NEW YORK — New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman likes to use the metaphor that the trade deadline is like shopping at the market. He might want to start eyeing the clearance rack. Look, the Yankees didn't embarrass themselves in a 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on Monday night. Advertisement Sure, the lineup — sans star Aaron Judge (flexor tendon strain) — didn't do much outside of the two-run first inning. Yeah, shortstop Anthony Volpe and second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. each didn't make plays the Yankees, who would call them elite defenders, might expect them to make — Volpe dropping a hard-hit grounder to his right and Chisholm bungling a transfer on a slow hopper. Neither was charged an error. (Manager Aaron Boone said Volpe wouldn't have had time to complete the throw to first base even if he had come up with it.) But in the ninth inning, Austin Wells' line drive to center field with a runner on second base was a few feet from falling for extra bases. It would have cut the deficit to a single run and put the tying run on base with two outs. Alas, it was caught at the warning track, and the game was over. Still, the defeat wasn't as bad as either of the two eyesores they produced in Toronto last week against the first-place Blue Jays. But it's hard to look at the stumbling Yankees and think they're trending up, and that Cashman should throw billionaire owner Hal Steinbrenner's money or the franchise's higher-end prospect capital at any of the the team's problems before the trade deadline on Thursday at 6 p.m. In fact, when manager Aaron Boone was asked pregame whether he felt the roster was still proving to the front office that it deserved reinforcements, he deflected. 'Look,' Boone said, 'there are so many machinations going on up there. So many conversations from 30 teams. That's tough to say. We're always trying to prove ourselves all the time. We've gone through months now where we've just played OK and we know we need to play good baseball here to get to where we want to go. Our focus is on doing that everyday, not necessarily out to prove anything. It's about going out there and trying to shake hands at the end of the day.' Advertisement And when outfielder Cody Bellinger was quizzed on if the trade deadline was a hot topic in the clubhouse among players, he talked around it. 'Ultimately,' Bellinger said, 'the guys in this locker room, it's kind of out of our control. What we have to do is what we've been doing and focus on the day to day and our plan. We have no idea really what's going to happen. Just kind of focus on what we can focus on.' The Yankees' main focus has been on trying to play better, which they haven't done consistently in a while. Since June 13, their 14-25 record is the third-worst in the game. Their bullpen had an atrocious 5.16 ERA over the span going into Monday. Since Saturday, they have been without Judge, and it's unclear when he'll be back. The Yankees have said they expect him to return to DH-ing once the 10-day injured list window ends, but whether that happens on that timeline is anybody's guess. It's also unclear when Judge will be ready to play the outfield again. That they're even discussing Giancarlo Stanton potentially trying to play right field after not playing the position at all last year or this season, and after he's taken to running the bases as if he's concerned he might get hurt if he's not careful, would seem to be a bad sign. Still, it wasn't as if the Yankees were hopeless. Yes, they remained 5 1/2 games back of the first-place Blue Jays. But they also were a game ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the wild-card standings, and the rest of the American League wasn't exactly filled with juggernauts. The Yankees' first two moves seemed like they were more than half-measures, but also like they were made by a front office still gauging its appetite. Adding Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies was just as much about trying to solidify third base for the next two seasons as it was about this year. Trading for Amed Rosario from the Washington Nationals simply gave the Yankees a righty bat to pair with the lefty-hitting McMahon the rest of the season. Advertisement They were still prioritizing adding pitching — particularly in the bullpen, where there seemed to be no shortage of trade candidates. They also seemed inclined to explore adding another starting pitcher. Yet the question becomes: At what cost? For more than a month, they haven't played like a team that should consider trading top prospects such as George Lombard Jr., Spencer Jones or Carlos Lagrange. After all, which potential acquisition exactly would put this team back over the hump, especially with Judge sidelined for who knows how long? The clearance rack probably isn't where the Yankees would find the answer to that question. But it might be better than buyers' remorse. (Josh Lowe steals second base before being tagged by shortstop Anthony Volpe. Vincent Carchietta / Imagn Images)
New York Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Rosenthal: What I'm hearing about the Guardians' adjusted trade plans, plus more deadline notes
Here's what I'm hearing from major-league sources with less than three full days until the conclusion of the MLB trade deadline at 6 p.m. ET Thursday. The loss of closer Emmanuel Clase to non-disciplinary leave as part of a Major League Baseball investigation into sports betting did not simply deprive the Cleveland Guardians of their top trade chip. It ended any chance of the Guardians becoming a buyer, and likely increased the possibility of the team trading right-hander Shane Bieber and perhaps left fielder Steven Kwan. Advertisement Bieber, recovering from Tommy John surgery in April 2024, is expected to be heavily scouted Tuesday night in a rehab start at Double A. The Guardians re-signed the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner in December to a deal that pays him $10 million this season and gives him a $16 million player option for 2026 – an option Bieber, 30, might very well decline if he comes back strong. Kwan, 27, is earning $4.175 million this season, and under club control through salary arbitration for two years after that. He is drawing 'a ton' of interest, according to a club source, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres believed to be among the teams in the mix. The Guardians intend to set a high bar for their desired return. The combination of Kwan's age, additional years of control and offensive, defensive and baserunning ability make him perhaps the best position player available. He is more than six years younger than Eugenio Suárez, a rental, and his fWAR is 2.8 to Suárez's 3.0. While the Guardians' chances of signing Kwan to an extension might be slim, this will not be their last opportunity to trade him. They can try again this offseason, when they possibly could involve even more teams, as well as the next two deadlines and – if there is no lockout – the 2026-27 offseason. The Milwaukee Brewers, who acquired catcher Danny Jansen from the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, are among the teams interested in the Baltimore Orioles' Ryan O'Hearn. While O'Hearn would not be a perfect fit for Milwaukee, the team could find at-bats for him at first base, in left field and at designated hitter. Christian Yelich is the Brewers' primary DH. Andrew Vaughn has filled in well at first for Rhys Hoskins, who is expected to return from a sprained left thumb in mid-to-late August. Switch-hitter Isaac Collins, one of the season's bigger surprises, has emerged as the team's primary left fielder. Advertisement The Brewers, however, entered Monday ranked 21st in slugging percentage by left-handed hitters and 23rd in home runs. O'Hearn, 32, was batting only .218 with a .648 OPS since May 27. But among the Brewers, only Yelich (19) and Jackson Chourio had exceeded his total of 12 homers. O'Hearn, a potential free agent, will be owed about $2.5 million. The Brewers also showed interest in another left-handed hitting first baseman, Josh Naylor, before the Arizona Diamondbacks sent him to the Seattle Mariners. Naylor at the time was owed nearly $4 million. Something to watch with the surging Texas Rangers: Whether they are willing to go over the luxury-tax threshold for the third consecutive season. The Rangers' estimated luxury-tax payroll, per Fangraphs, is $234.9 million. The first threshold is $241 million. As a third-time offender, the Rangers would be taxed at 50 percent for every dollar they spend over the threshold. If they stay under, their penalty rate would reset to 20 percent. Winners of six straight games and nine of 10 entering Monday night, the Rangers were still day to day in determining how aggressively they should buy. If ownership gives the front office the flexibility to exceed the threshold, the Rangers might as well go significantly past the number. It would make little season to end the season say, $1 million over. A trade of right fielder Adolis García, who will be owed approximately $3 million at the deadline, would create additional room under the threshold. The Rangers also could move a pitcher such as right-hander Jon Gray or one of their catchers, Jonah Heim or Kyle Higashioka. But such trades would be self-defeating for a team trying to reach the postseason. The Rangers want to add another right-handed hitter as well as a high-leverage reliever such as the St. Louis Cardinals' Ryan Helsley or Pittsburgh Pirates' David Bednar. Trading García would subtract a right-handed bat, and like many of the Rangers' hitters he is on the upswing. Through May 28, Garcia was batting .208 with a .626 OPS. Since then, he has been better, hitting .256 with and a .728 OPS. He also is an excellent defender, and the Rangers consider him an important part of their club. By awarding president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer a contract extension, the Chicago Cubs effectively reduced the pressure on him at the deadline, at least as far as his job security was concerned. Pittsburgh Pirates GM Ben Cherington, on the other hand, remains in limbo, and not without reason. Hoyer's team is well-positioned for a playoff berth. Cherington's is headed for a sixth straight losing season. Advertisement The question is how owner Bob Nutting will evaluate Cherington's performance at the deadline and beyond. If Nutting judges Cherington partly on how the Pirates finish, a selloff involving Bednar, Mitch Keller and others likely would make the team even less competitive, damaging the GM's standing. But if Cherington takes a passive approach, declining to leverage his ample supply of pitchers to acquire impact hitters, Nutting could fire him for a different reason – failing to put the team in better position for 2026. History suggests that treading lightly could be the wrong play. In 2019, then Pirates-GM Neal Huntington moved rentals Corey Dickerson and Jordan Lyles at the deadline but held on to several rentals and valuable veterans. The Pirates were 47-61, compared to 44-62 now. Nutting fired Huntington after that season. The situation is awkward, to say the least. Whatever path Cherington chooses, he might be doomed. The Chicago White Sox believe they would look ridiculous accepting a mid-tier prospect for a player as talented as center fielder Luis Robert Jr. Their stance is that if they don't land at least one of a trade partner's top 10 prospects for Robert, they will pick up his $20 million option. Teams' top 10 lists vary in quality, but no matter. The prospective suitors, which include the Padres, Phillies and New York Mets, evidently believe the White Sox are bluffing. With only $20.6 million committed to their 2026 payroll, the White Sox certainly could absorb Robert at his option price. But this is a player who appeared in more than 100 games only once in his first four full seasons. He currently is at 86, with 55 games remaining. So far, so good, but a player who is injured as often as Robert typically doesn't warrant a $20 million investment. And if the White Sox decline to trade Robert, who's to say he won't shut down the first time he feels a twinge after the deadline, effectively forcing their hand on the option? Advertisement The White Sox, then, are in something of a no-win position. Trade Robert for the mid-tier prospect teams are offering, and feel short-changed if he returns to the player he was in 2023. Keep him and exercise the option, and assume the risk he will again miss significant time. Keep him and decline the option, and receive nothing in return when he departs as a free agent. The best guess is that in the end, they take what they can get. Four trade candidates started on Monday, with mixed results. The Miami Marlins' Edward Cabrera was the only one to produce a quality start. The Pirates' Keller lasted only two innings. The Orioles' Zach Eflin and Athletics' JP Sears failed to complete five. Tuesday's slate of games includes two starters who could be moved – the Orioles' Charlie Morton and Washington Nationals' Mike Soroka. As of late Monday night, the Orioles' plan was to pitch Morton in their 12:35 ET start against the Toronto Blue Jays unless talks in the morning got hot. The Nationals were taking the same approach with the less coveted Soroka. Morton, 41, has a 3.80 ERA in his last 11 starts. That ERA was even lower before he allowed seven runs to the Tampa Bay Rays in his first start after the break. But he rebounded from that game to hold the Cleveland Guardians to three runs in 6 2/3 innings last Thursday. Among the Marlins in play: Right-handed reliever Anthony Bender, who is earning $1.42 million and under club control through arbitration for two additional seasons. Bender, 30, throws 45 percent sweepers, 27 percent sinkers and 22 percent sliders, according to Statcast. He entered Monday with a 1.83 ERA in 44 1/3 innings, but an expected 3.48 ERA that was nearly twice as high. His strikeout rate had dropped from 25.9 percent last season to 19.9 percent in this one. His lofty groundball rate also had dipped slightly, from 51.7 to 50.4 percent. But the San Diego Padres, among other clubs, were considering him. And finally, the New York Yankees, in doing their background work on third baseman Ryan McMahon, checked with some of his former teammates with the Colorado Rockies. One of those former teammates was the player whose release effectively created the opening for McMahon – DJ LeMahieu. The two played together in Colorado in 2017-18, and LeMahieu gave the Yankees a strong recommendation. Advertisement LeMahieu, 37, plans to wait until the trade deadline passes before signing with another team. He didn't want to join a club, and then suddenly find his spot in jeopardy if his new team acquired another player. The Athletic's Stephen J. Nesbitt contributed reporting. (Top photo of Steven Kwan:)
New York Times
6 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
With Reese Olson injured, here's why the Tigers traded for Chris Paddack
DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers' front office maintains a text thread for medical updates. President of baseball operations Scott Harris cringes every time he sees one of those texts light up his phone. 'You open it up, and you just never know what you're gonna find,' Harris said. Over the past few days, Harris got a few more of those unfortunate messages. The big one was this: Right-handed pitcher Reese Olson is out for the regular season after suffering a shoulder strain. Olson reported discomfort in his Saturday bullpen session. An MRI revealed the strain. He's undergoing further testing before the Tigers will know the full extent of the injury and whether Olson has any chance of pitching this postseason. Advertisement Disheartening as it is, it's likely a good thing the news came now rather than days later. It is trade season, and moves and rumors are flying. Harris went to work, and the Tigers cut a deal with the Minnesota Twins. Detroit acquired right-handed pitchers Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak in exchange for minor-league catcher Enrique Jimenez on Monday. Paddack will start for the Tigers on Wednesday. Dobnak will report to Triple A. 'As soon as I heard about Reese, I wanted to make sure that we could strengthen our rotation,' Harris said Monday afternoon. 'It's always hard around the trade deadline. There's a lot of conversations going on, a lot of scenarios for every target available. We were very pleased we were able to add a starter early enough before the trade deadline to strengthen our pitching. Again, we wish we could have added Chris and kept Reese, but that just wasn't in the cards for us.' Prior to Olson's injury, Paddack did not seem like a pitcher who fit the Tigers' deadline priorities. The 29-year-old right-hander has a 4.49 career ERA. This season with the Twins, Paddack had a 4.95 ERA in 21 starts. Although Paddack has near-elite extension in his delivery and the ability to limit walks, his 17.6 percent strikeout rate is a career low. He profiles more as a strike-throwing innings eater than as the type of frontline starter who could give the Tigers a boost in the postseason. But especially after the Olson news, innings is exactly what the Tigers need. 'It's hard losing Reese Olson,' manager A.J. Hinch said. 'He's a huge, huge guy that I trust.' Detroit has ace Tarik Skubal atop its rotation. Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty are capable starters. Since losing Jackson Jobe to a UCL tear, however, the Tigers have largely cycled through starters at the back end of their rotation. Keider Montero has a 4.66 ERA in 73 1/3 innings. Rookie Troy Melton made his second start Monday against Arizona. The likes of Dietrich Enns and Sawyer Gipson-Long have pitched in, too. Advertisement As the season progresses, the Tigers could turn to veteran José Urquidy, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, as an option. Melton could remain in the rotation or move to the bullpen. Paddack could perhaps serve as a more stable rotation option for a staff with its share of questions. Paddack allowed only one run over six innings in his most recent start against the Dodgers. He is a fly-ball pitcher who will not be hurt by Comerica Park's expansive dimensions. His 113 location+ rating is another reminder of his above-average command. Paddack is a free agent after the season. Fans might not rush to order his jersey, but there will be a role for him to fill in this Tigers' rotation. 'We really like his fastball,' Harris said. 'He's a plus strike-thrower with at least plus extension. We still feel like he has the weapons to attack hitters in different ways. We feel like he fits our ballpark really well, and he makes hitters uncomfortable. He goes right after hitters. That's always been our pitching philosophy, and we think he's gonna fit in really well here.' Dobnak, the other pitcher acquired in the deal, will report to Triple-A Toledo. Dobnak has thrown only 15 innings in the major leagues since 2021. He had a 7.12 ERA in 60 2/3 innings in Triple A this season. The 30-year-old is making $3 million in 2025 and might not amount to anything more than depth for the Tigers. His contract structure, however, is interesting: Dobnak has team options for each of the next three seasons, worth $6 million, $7 million and $8.5 million, respectively. The buyout for next year's option is $1 million but declines to only $100,000 for 2027 and 2028. Moving Dobnak's salary and buyout could have played a role in the Twins' decision to include him in this trade. Advertisement 'It's a guy who has pitched in the big leagues,' Harris said. 'He knows what it takes to pitch in the big leagues. This time of year, we want to get as much pitching as we can.' Jimenez is a 19-year-old who was hitting .250 with a .339 on-base percentage in rookie ball. The Athletic ranked him as Detroit's No. 12 prospect. Keith Law wrote Jimenez projects as 'at least a solid backup with a chance for more.' Jimenez is a decent prospect to send to a division foe in exchange for a rental pitcher and a glorified project in Dobnak. But the Tigers' system depth at catcher, highlighted by Thayron Liranzo and catcher/first baseman Josue Briceno, seemingly made Detroit more comfortable trading Jimenez. 'We have a couple pretty famous prospects coming through the system that we're excited about,' Harris said. 'We felt like given our needs in the rotation, especially after the Reese news, that it was something we had to give up to add a starter to our mix.' The Tigers also put center fielder Parker Meadows on the 10-day injured list with a right quad strain as part of a flurry of roster moves Monday. Because Paddack has not yet joined the active roster, the Tigers had two open spots for Olson and Meadows. Utility players Andy Ibáñez and Ryan Kreidler joined the Tigers on Monday. The Meadows injury is a particularly difficult blow for a player who already endured a lengthy IL stint with a nerve issue in his throwing arm earlier this season. Meadows had — and still has — a chance to be a real X-factor for the Tigers down the stretch. Meadows had an .840 OPS and played top-tier defense in center field in August and September last season. But Meadows struggled to shake off rust after finally returning from the IL in 2025. He was hitting only .200 in 38 games this season. Advertisement In Sunday's victory against the Blue Jays, the Tigers noticed something off with Meadows both on the field and in the bases. Hinch pinch-hit for Meadows with Jahmai Jones — something that did not seem unusual at the time — in the eighth inning despite a large Tigers lead. Meadows had been getting treatment on his quad, and subsequent testing revealed a strain. 'Fortunately, we think we caught it early,' Harris said. 'There won't be a tear or a high-grade strain. We're hopeful that he will be back soon. He's still going through some tests, so I can't really forecast his return to play, but I think the good part is we caught it early.' Matt Vierling is the most likely to see time in center field in Meadows' absence, with Javier Báez and Wenceel Pérez also in the mix. (Top photo of Chris Paddack: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
As Dodgers look to upgrade outfield, Harrison Bader could be a trade deadline fit
The Dodgers have already clinched a losing record in July, entering play Monday with their worst single-month winning percentage since May 2013. Their league-leading offense has remained stuck in a nosedive, ranking bottom-four in the majors entering Monday in runs scored, batting average and OPS this month despite some short-lived signs of life from their lineup last week. For a while now, the team has known it would target a high-leverage reliever ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. But suddenly, amid a protracted slump that even president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged he didn't see coming, the deadline might feel incomplete without the addition of another position player as well. 'Relief pitching is always talked about, certainly with what we're going through,' manager Dave Roberts said this weekend. But, he added, 'a potential bat' is something club officials are 'kicking the tires' on. As deadline week commenced on Monday, it meant the question wasn't so much whether the Dodgers would look to bolster their lineup over the next four days, but rather how they could best supplement their already $400-million roster. Read more: Trade Dustin May? Dodgers pitcher stumbles in loss to Red Sox as deadline rumors swirl One specific priority that has been increasingly emphasized by people around the organization in recent days: Someone who can not only hit, but more profoundly upgrade their outfield defense. The Dodgers, after all, know their long-term offensive success depends primarily on their superstar players. So far in July, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández have all batted in the low .200s. Mookie Betts and Tommy Edman are hitting .186 and .150, respectively. And Max Muncy has been out with a knee injury (though he could return during next week's home stand, if not the end of this current trip). No impact hitter on the market can change that reality. No one they add this week can save them if their star-studded core endures similar struggles in October. In a surprise twist, some of their best hitters this month have actually been those who once seemed like obvious candidates to replace at the deadline — none more so than Michael Conforto, who is batting .280 with an .855 OPS since June 22 after belting a home run and two doubles in the team's series finale in Boston on Sunday. 'The first half [of the season] was not me,' said Conforto, the $17-million offseason signing who was hitting a woeful .163 before his recent 24-game surge. 'I left a lot of hits out there. There was a lot of work to be done. And I just had to put my head down and keep grinding.' Now he's finally starting to produce at a level the Dodgers would be happy to get from any potential deadline acquisition. That doesn't mean, however, the Dodgers will be dissuaded from looking for outfield help this week. Because, even as Conforto's bat has heated up, his glove remains a glaring area of weakness in left field. For all he did at the plate Sunday, Conforto also had two costly defensive misplays early in the game, dropping a fly ball in the first inning that stressed Dustin May's pitch count before overpursuing a line drive off the Green Monster that turned into a run-scoring triple in the fourth, aiding a Red Sox rally that keyed their eventual victory. On the whole this season, Conforto ranks 13th out of 16 qualified MLB left fielders in defensive runs saved (negative three) and 14th in outs above average (negative five). It has illustrated a larger conundrum facing the team. Unlike last October, when the Dodgers needed potent offense to compensate for their patchwork pitching staff, their playoff run this year could be keyed more by what they do on the mound. Barring late-season injuries (a big 'if' given their recent history), the club is shaping up to have a potentially dominant rotation featuring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell (who will return from injury this weekend) and Ohtani (who Friedman believes will be capable of pitching 'real innings' come the playoffs). While their bullpen has struggled to this point, the returns of Blake Treinen (who was activated from the injured list Sunday), Michael Kopech (who is due back late next month), Tanner Scott (who avoided a season-ending elbow injury last week) and Brusdar Graterol (expected to return sometime in September) figure to transform the group, along with whoever the front office adds in an expected deadline splash. It all means that preventing runs could be the biggest key to the Dodgers' title defense this fall. And to do that, they could benefit from more trustworthy outfield defense — where Conforto's issues have been compounded by Hernández's regression in right field (he also grades out at one of the worst defenders in the majors at that position this year, while being limited by a groin injury) and repeated misreads from Andy Pages in center (mistakes that have at least been somewhat offset by his lethal throwing arm). That's why it came as no surprise to see the Dodgers' interest in someone like Harrison Bader intensify this week, as a person with knowledge of the situation but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed. A veteran outfielder with the Minnesota Twins, Bader is a premium defender having one of his best career seasons at the plate (.255 average, 12 home runs, .777 OPS). And as a likely free agent this offseason (he has a mutual option for 2026), he could be acquired at a relatively reasonable price — or, perhaps, in a package deal with a top Twins reliever such as Jhoan Durán or Griffin Jax. Other contenders, including the New York Yankees, have also been mentioned as potential landing spots for Bader. But the Dodgers' interest appears to be strong. The Dodgers' other route would be to add an infielder, and move Edman to center field. Utilityman Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals is one such option, as The Athletic reported this week. But Edman has been limited by a lingering ankle injury (he was given Monday off to keep managing it). And his most defensive value is on the infield dirt anyway, evidenced lately by his sharp play filling in at third base in Muncy's absence. Bader is a right-handed bat, running counter to the initial belief that the Dodgers preferred to add another left-handed hitter at the deadline. But between Conforto's recent improvements (even if the Dodgers make another addition, the left-handed slugger will likely still have a role on the team), and the fact that backup left-handed- hitting catcher Dalton Rushing is not expected to be dealt this week ('I don't see a world in which he's moved,' Roberts said of Rushing on Monday), the Dodgers could accommodate anything — if it means making a significant improvement to their outfield defense. Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Yankees trade deadline targets: 7 players New York could pursue, from Merrill Kelly to Ryan Helsley
The Yankees have already been aggressive leading up to the trade deadline, acquiring 3B Ryan McMahon from the Rockies and utility infielder Amed Rosario from the Nationals. Is more help on the way? New York faces increasingly long odds to win the AL East as the Blue Jays surge, but with Aaron Judge avoiding a serious injury to his elbow and planning to return at some point in the early days of August, the franchise is still holding out hope for a late-season run. With McMahon and Rosario in the fold, pitching could be the Yankees' target in the final days and hours before the deadline. Unless Judge's prognosis is worse than the franchise is letting on, don't expect another aggressive move for a position player. The Yankees won't bench Giancarlo Stanton with the way he has been hitting, so they are likely to live with Stanton temporarily playing the field while Judge serves as a designated hitter until he's fully recovered. LIVE: Yankees trade rumors tracker McMahon and Rosario, meanwhile, helped address the Yankees' infield needs ahead of the season's final two months. 📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp Who could join them in the Bronx? Here are seven prime trade targets for the Yankees leading up to the July 31 deadline. Yankees trade deadline targets Merrill Kelly, SP, Diamondbacks The Diamondbacks are open for business, and Kelly is as reliable as any veteran starter on the market. The 36-year-old has a 3.22 ERA and 1.06 WHIP across 22 starts this season, in line with the numbers from his past two full seasons in 2022 and 2023, and he posted a 2.25 ERA across four starts during Arizona's run to the World Series in 2023. The Yankees need a reliable arm behind Max Fried and Carlos Rodon with Clarke Schmidt out for the remainder of the season, and a 1-2-3 of Fried, Rodon, and Kelly would be formidable, to say the least. Mitch Keller, SP, Pirates If the Yankees want a controllable starter, Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller could be available for a steeper price. A durable arm who hasn't missed meaningful time over the past five seasons, Keller has a history of strong starts and slow finishes to the season, but he has held up well this year with a 3.53 ERA and 3.42 FIP across 21 starts. Keller doesn't miss many bats, but he has impressive control and is under contract through 2028. Ryan Helsley, CL, Cardinals Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley said he expects to be traded, and one would have to think that's the most likely scenario with St. Louis teetering in the NL wild-card race. The Cardinals' closer has a 2.03 ERA and 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings over the past four seasons, notching 103 saves. The Yankees' bullpen plans have faltered this season, with Devin Williams flashing far too much inconsistency and Luke Weaver struggling after returning from injury. Regardless of who gets the ninth inning, Helsley would help settle down the back end of the 'pen. David Bednar, CL, Pirates A two-time All-Star, Bednar struggled mightily in 2024 and got off to a similarly concerning start this season before being optioned to the minors. As it turns out, that stint in the minor leagues fixed him. Bednar has not allowed a run since mid-May, dropping his ERA into the low 2s and giving the Pirates a legitimate weapon at the back end of their bullpen once again. Bednar is under contract through 2026, so he would come at a cost in any deal. MORE:14 players who could be traded before July 31 deadline Sandy Alcantara, SP, Marlins A former Cy Young Award winner, Alcantara has suffered through a fairly brutal season after missing all of 2024 with Tommy John Surgery. Between his track record and a recent encouraging seven-inning outing against the Padres, however, it wouldn't be surprising to see Alcantara moved — and the Marlins are certainly listening. If the Yankees are confident they can fix Alcantara, they would have a fairly cheap rotation option for their 2026 rotation. Griffin Jax, RP, Twins The Twins are far from guaranteed to trade Griffin Jax or Jhoan Duran, but a strong offer could get one moved. Jax should come a bit cheaper, though his underlying numbers paint a different picture than his 4.00 ERA. The right-hander has a terrific 2.07 FIP, nearly in line with last season when he enjoyed some better luck and posted a 2.03 ERA. With a career-high 14 strikeouts per nine innings, Jax could be a sneaky addition to the back end of the Yankees' bullpen without any pressure to have him close out games. Willi Castro, IF/OF, Twins Do the Yankees have room for another infielder after adding McMahon and Rosario? According to the New York Post's Joel Sherman, the door is at least open for another bat to join the fray, and he adds that Twins Swiss Army knife Willi Castro is someone the Yankees have long admired. Sherman suggests the Yankees could try to package Castro with a Twins reliever in a deal. While they might have to figure out how the pieces all fit in that scenario, Castro's versatility and solid bat by utility man standards could make him a valuable piece for New York given the team's serious defensive issues in the infield.
