The New York Yankees need help.
Their struggles over the past month have the Boston Red Sox, the third wild-card team in the American League, closing the gap with the Yankees. Making the playoffs isn’t in complete danger, but their summer swoon has many fans in utter panic. According to Baseball-Reference’s Katie Sharp, since 1901, only four teams have started 49-21 and missed the playoffs.
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To have the best chance of winning a World Series, the Yankees must upgrade the roster with external additions. They expect Giancarlo Stanton and Jon Berti back soon, but that is still not enough. Stanton has finished back-to-back seasons with an OPS below .700 upon returning from injury, and Berti is best suited as a utility infielder. They also need to revamp their bullpen; since May 1, the Yankees have the 17th-best bullpen ERA (4.11), and their combined fWAR is below 1.0.
General manager Brian Cashman spoke with reporters in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Tuesday and agreed that the Yankees must improve before the July 30 trade deadline.
“We’re going to be open-minded to a lot of different things,” Cashman said, “I’m not going to point out anything specific, but we definitely have areas to improve upon and we’ll do our best. We just got to figure our way through this ourselves and hopefully we can add some outside pieces at some point.”
The ideal deadline would see the Yankees add an infielder — either at second or third base — two bullpen arms and potentially another starting pitcher due to uncertainty in the team’s rotation.Here are 10 players who could be dealt in the coming weeks, ranked in order of who would be best for the Yankees:
1. Jonathan India, 2B, Cincinnati Reds
Only the Miami Marlins and Colorado Rockies are realistically out of the hunt for a National League wild-card spot. The team with the highest run differential currently not in playoff position is the Reds. If the Reds decide to sell, though, the Yankees should inquire about India’s availability.
It’s unclear whether Gleyber Torres will turn his season around. In a year where the team has only one guaranteed year with Juan Soto on its roster, the Yankees can’t afford to wait on Torres to figure it out at the plate.
Two bombs for Jonathan India on the Fourth of July!
Three hits and three RBIs for India!
It's the second multi-home run game for India this year.
💥💥@JonathanIndia | @Reds pic.twitter.com/uwT6HRkSo3
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) July 4, 2023
India won’t be a free agent until 2027 and does have positional flexibility, despite having played only second base in the big leagues. At the University of Florida, India was the Gators’ everyday third baseman. Coming into the season, the Reds planned on having India play third, first and left field, in addition to second. However, injuries locked India in at second base. The Reds are expecting Matt McLain back at some point, which could create a logjam in their infield.
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The Yankees are in need of a leadoff hitter, and India would be a fantastic option to hit in front of Soto and Aaron Judge. Among all qualified hitters, India ranks 16th in on-base percentage. He has one of the best eyes in the sport, ranking in the 89th percentile in walk rate and the 99th percentile in chase rate. He also has above-average speed, which the Yankees could desperately use.
2. Matt Chapman, 3B, San Francisco Giants
Chapman said back in March that he likely will opt out of his contract at the end of the season to become a free agent again. If that’s the expectation, the Yankees likely won’t have to spend an exorbitant amount in prospect capital to possibly land him.
Acquiring the Giants’ third baseman would help fill the hole the Yankees have on the left side of their infield with DJ LeMahieu’s struggles. He possesses characteristics that the Yankees like in their hitters: a high average exit velocity, the ability to square up the baseball and a low chase percentage. Though defensive metrics vary this season, he’s been a whiz at third base in his career. Moreover, if the Yankees were to add him, he would immediately become their fastest player on the roster.
Like the Reds, the Giants haven’t said if they’ll buy or sell, but if they decide to sell, Chapman should be near the top of the Yankees’ wish list.
Kirby Yates would give the Yankees bullpen a pure strikeout artist. (Jerome Miron / USA Today)
3. Kirby Yates, RHP, Texas Rangers
The Rangers are weighing both buying and selling scenarios. After winning the World Series in 2023, the Rangers have been decimated by injuries and underperformance this season. If the Rangers do sell, they have numerous players who could help contenders.
Yates is an American League All-Star this season with a sub-1.00 ERA. The primary reason why the Yankees should be interested in him is because he’s one of the best strikeout artists out of the bullpen. His 36.3 percent strikeout rate ranks seventh for all relievers. The lack of swing-and-miss has been a problem for the Yankees’ bullpen all season. They have built a bullpen that pitches to contact, but one of the risks is the inability to control batted ball luck. The bullpen arms the Yankees possibly acquire at the deadline should focus on pitchers with strikeout stuff.
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Yates will become a free agent at the end of the season, so he would be a pure rental for the Yankees.
4. Tanner Scott, LHP, Miami Marlins
Scott is the likeliest player to change teams ahead of the trade deadline. The Marlins initiated sell mode in early May when they traded Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres. Miami will cash in with Scott, as every contender is interested in adding him to their bullpen.
The Yankees don’t have a trusted go-to left-handed option out of their bullpen. Victor González was designated for assignment a few weeks ago, Caleb Ferguson has not worked out as expected, and Tim Hill has not pitched enough for the team to have a strong opinion of him just yet.
An All-Star Moment for Tanner Scott! 👏 pic.twitter.com/jgRzTdasPL
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) July 7, 2024
Scott fits what the Yankees usually look for in their bullpen arms: he generates a high amount of ground balls and limits hard contact. In fact, Scott ranks first in opponents’ average exit velocity. He would also become the Yankees’ best strikeout pitcher out of their bullpen.
One potential issue with acquiring Scott, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, is that he may cost more than the usual rental because of the high level of interest in him.
5. Brent Rooker, OF/DH, Oakland A’s
“Where would he play?” That’s the likely comment fans would make if the Yankees traded for Rooker. The answer should be: “Does it matter?” When a player has around a .900 OPS,he needs to find his way into the lineup, and it’s on the manager to make it happen.
The likeliest place Rooker would play if he were on the Yankees is left field. Alex Verdugo is not good enough offensively to be an everyday player. They could easily split time in the outfield. Also, as mentioned above, there should be some caution in assuming Stanton will once again produce at his pre-injury level, so at-bats at designated hitter could be an option.
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The Yankees can never have enough boppers in the middle of their order, and that’s what Rooker is. He hits the ball extremely hard and consistently in the air. He strikes out a ton but makes up for it with home runs.
He’s a pre-arbitration player, but he’s 29 years old. Given his age and the A’s desire to get younger, it’s possible they could move him and capitalize on his productivity.
6. Nathan Eovaldi, RHP, Texas Rangers
The Yankees’ starting pitching has faltered lately. Carlos Rodón can’t be trusted. Marcus Stroman has significantly outperformed his advanced metrics. Luis Gil’s workload is expected to be reduced at some point. Clarke Schmidt won’t be back for several more weeks. Getting another starter, while not necessarily the most pressing need, wouldn’t be the worst decision for the Yankees.
Since leaving the Yankees in 2016, Eovaldi, who has a limited no-trade clause, has been one of the better pitchers in MLB. Last season, Eovaldi was an ace throughout the Rangers’ run to the title. His five postseason wins tied an MLB record. This season, Eovaldi has a 3.10 ERA and is striking out more hitters than he has since 2021.
Eovaldi needs to throw 69 more innings this season to vest a $20 million player option for the 2025 season.
7. Jack Flaherty, RHP, Detroit Tigers
Flaherty is once again pitching like an ace. After a disastrous 2023 season, Flaherty has been one of MLB’s best pitchers. A big reason for this is that he’s commanding the baseball better than ever in his career. He’s never been known as an elite strike thrower but that’s what he’s been this year. In addition to keeping his walk rate down, Flaherty is striking out more hitters than ever before in his career.
Jack Flaherty's 2Ks in the 5th. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/aLnNr6z3pY
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 15, 2024
He’s been dealing with a back problem lately, which obviously needs to be checked out by the Yankees’ medical team. The Yankees were burned two years ago by trading for Frankie Montas, who was not 100 percent healthy when they acquired him.
Flaherty is a free agent at the end of the season, and with the Tigers not expected to make the playoffs, it would be wise to trade him and cash in with prospects.
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8. Garrett Crochet, LHP, Chicago White Sox
Crochet is the best starter, and perhaps the best overall player, who could be traded by the end of the month. There are not many weaknesses in his game. He’s one of the best at striking hitters out and not walking them. He limits hard contact by having two elite pitches: his fastball and cutter.
Crochet isn’t higher on this list because it would cost a fortune for the Yankees to acquire him. Other teams, namely the Baltimore Orioles, have more depth in their minor league system, so acquiring Crochet wouldn’t completely deplete their farm. This is also by far the most Crochet has pitched in his career.
There are workload concerns this season and beyond that make the significant price it’s going to cost a bit risky.
9. Ryan McMahon, 3B, Colorado Rockies
The Rockies are “not motivated” to trade McMahon ahead of the deadline, but these are the Rockies we’re talking about. They always seem to operate differently than any other club, and their decision-making is never uniform. The Yankees should at least call to see if they’d be interested in trading McMahon, who’s signed under contract through 2027.
McMahon crushes the baseball when he makes contact, ranking in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and the 98th percentile in hard-hit rate. There’s potential for him to become an even better player, as his swing decision stats have trended in the wrong direction despite walking at a well-above-average rate. With better pitch selection and pulling the ball more, especially given his average exit velocity, his numbers could tick up higher.
10. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B/CF, Miami Marlins
Chisholm has been a slightly above-average hitter this season and last, though he hasn’t played at least 120 games since 2021. However, there is potential for Chisholm to become the star player he was pegged to be a few seasons ago.
His numbers are much better on the road than at home, where Miami’s park presents challenges for left-handed hitters. Entering Thursday’s game, Chisholm’s home OPS was .688 compared to .799 on the road. With the pop he has, Yankee Stadium could maximize his potential; in fact, he would have four more home runs this season if he played there.
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The Marlins shifted Chisholm to center field last year, and his defense has been underwhelming. His best defensive position is second base, where he has accumulated seven defensive runs saved and eight outs above average over 145 games played. That would make Chisholm one of the best defenders at second base if he were to stay there long term. The Yankees currently have a short- and long-term need at second base because Torres becomes a free agent at the end of the season.
Chisholm is under team control through 2026, and the Marlins appear ready to trade him in the coming weeks. Batting ahead of Soto and Judge at the top of the Yankees’ order could bring out the best in Chisholm.
(Top photo of Jonathan India: Jason Mowry / Getty Images)
