In a little less than a week, the New York Yankees and other MLB contenders will look very different. Some superstars will have moved teams ahead of the August 3 trade deadline, which is usually a pretty wild and active time for baseball.
The Yankees are always aggressive at the deadline because they almost always have a good shot at making a deep run in the playoffs. This year, that appears to be no different, as they are one of just two American League teams with 60 wins (just six have eclipsed 60 wins in the entire sport).
And based on some early reporting as well as the rampant needs the 60-46 Yankees have, it could be a particularly active next few days in the Bronx.
The Yankees Could Bring In At Least One Superstar at the Deadline
The Yankees have limped to a 60-46 record so far. They’re 2.5 games back of the Tampa Bay Rays, but they project as the best team in the American League. A ridiculous swathe of injuries has been plaguing them all year. Even now, Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Clarke Schmidt, Carlos Rodon, and Giancarlo Stanton are out.
Stanton and Judge have been out for a long time. Before that, Max Fried, Gerrit Cole, Ryan McMahon, and others spent time on the Injured List. At full strength, this is one of the best rosters in baseball. It just hasn’t been at full strength, literally at all, yet.
Despite that, the Yankees have the best run differential in the American League and a substantially better expected win-loss record than the Rays. If they can get healthy by October, this team is going to be one of the most feared.
That said, it’s not a team without holes. The bullpen is somewhat weak, at least in terms of high-end arms they can rely on. Unsung heroes like Brent Headrick and Paul Blackburn have been great, but do the Yankees really want to trust those two in playoff baseball?
They could also use an infielder, probably a third baseman, but a shortstop wouldn’t be the worst idea, either. Catcher has been a total black hole for the Yankees, too – their three catchers (Austin Wells, JC Escarra, and Ali Sanchez) have combined for 0.3 fWAR.
And while they await the returns of Judge (probably before the postseason, but not long before), Bellinger (four to six weeks from now), and Stanton (relatively soon, but the Yankees won’t want to rush him back), they could use an impactful bat.
The Bronx Bombers could be gearing up to address a couple of their major issues at the deadline. There have been rumors that New York is interested in San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller, who is arguably the best relief pitcher in the sport. A recent report revealed that the Padres had scouts poring over every level of New York’s farm system, indicating that they’re looking at who they’d want in return for Miller.
Adding a bat like Hunter Goodman would address two major issues: the need for more firepower and the desperate need to improve the catching depth chart. Goodman has been an absolute star for the Colorado Rockies: 2.4 fWAR and a 124 wRC+, which is adjusted to compensate for the Coors Field effect.
Goodman has multiple years of team control left, and he is quite good, so the Rockies, who aren’t necessarily forced to sell now, are hesitant. They’re reportedly asking for a lot in return, and teams are balking because of Goodman’s defensive liabilities.
The Yankees have Wells, who is an excellent defensive catcher who currently cannot hit, so they could get creative with that combination. The alternative is Ryan Jeffers, who the Yanks also like and would cost a whole lot less. Jeffers has been really good, too. He’s been worth 2.0 fWAR and has a blistering 160 wRC+.
New York often plays the injury card for ultimately not making big, all-in trades for superstars at the deadline. They’ll get Aaron Judge, Carlos Rodon, Giancarlo Stanton, and others back after the deadline. That is a huge boon, and it’ll help. But this time, it appears they’re poised to supplement those returns with big deadline moves, positioning them to return to the World Series and perhaps win it this time.
