When it comes to the Yankees‘ top weaknesses heading into the trade deadline, most observers will point to the bullpen as an area desperately needing reinforcement. Yet, pitching coach Matt Blake has a proven track record of securing undervalued players at a bargain. While the Yankees are unlikely to aggressively pursue a star bullpen arm, they are expected to look for several solid supplementary pieces with potential for significant impact.
Urgent Upgrades Needed: Positions to Watch
The team does face specific needs that require urgent attention, and general manager Brian Cashman must adopt an aggressive strategy, especially if the Yankees aim to contend for a World Series title this year. It would be a serious oversight to waste another MVP-caliber season from Aaron Judge, not to mention the significant contributions of Juan Soto.
The Yankees’ Three Biggest Weaknesses Ahead of the Trade Deadline
1. Rethinking DJ LeMahieu’s Role
A critical decision at the deadline involves DJ LeMahieu and his current role within the team. After 37 games and 135 plate appearances this season, LeMahieu’s decline is evident, with a slash line of .188/.284/.214, including 11 RBIs and a wRC+ of just 52. His 15.6% strikeout rate and 11.1% walk rate further underscore his struggles at the plate.
While LeMahieu remains a highly skilled defensive player, his ongoing role as the starting third baseman is increasingly untenable. The Yankees briefly promoted Jorbit Vivas from Triple-A, only to demote him after the Orioles series. Potential market options like Luis Rengifo and Jazz Chisholm don’t typically play third base and are considered below-average defenders at second.
The Yankees might pin their hopes on Jon Berti to regain his form following a return from injury, offering better base-running and batting from the hot corner—a marked improvement over LeMahieu’s current performance.
2. Addressing Gleyber Torres’ Inconsistencies
One of the team’s most disappointing players this season has been Gleyber Torres, and Cashman may look to acquire an above-average bat at the deadline.
Torres has been better as of late, slowly crawling his way back up to a 100 wRC+, currently situated at 90. He’s hitting .231/.307/.347 this season, including eight homers and 35 RBIs. The problem is that he has an expected batting average in the 14th percentile and expected slugging in the 16th percentile. His barrel percentage is 17% below the MLB average, and the only category he’s impressive in chase rate, ranking in the 87th percentile.
There’s no question that Gleyber can turn things around offensively, but at this rate, his volatility presents a major concern for the Yankees, and they may already feel as though the trust has been broken. Defensively, he’s been inconsistent this year again, playing 800.2 innings, allowing 11 errors with -5 defensive runs saved and -1 out above average.
3. Carlos Rodon’s Struggles Continue
The acquisition of Carlos Rodon was meant to bolster the Yankees’ starting rotation, but his tenure has been fraught with challenges. Following a disappointing 6.85 ERA last season, Rodon’s performance this year has not shown significant improvement, with a current ERA of 4.63 over 107 innings.
Rodon’s difficulty with locating his fastball, which he uses almost half the time, has resulted in a high opponent batting average and slugging percentage against it. While his slider and cutter remain effective, reliance on these as secondary pitches might be necessary until he can resolve issues with his fastball.
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Recent rumors suggest the Yankees could target Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox, though acquiring him would likely cost a top prospect like Spencer Jones. The potential trade-off, however, might be justified if Crochet can deliver the ace-level performance the Yankees need.