Andy Martino of SNY provided an update on the New York Yankees and their deadline plans, and the three areas that they seem to be focusing most on are third base and their pitching staff in both their rotation and bullpen. What stands out about the report for Martino is his emphasis on the Yankees “actively” looking for help at the hot corner, and one name who has stood out in early reporting is Isaac Paredes of the Tampa Bay Rays. While the corner infielder has hit a bit of a slide in recent weeks, he’s having a strong season and would be a massive boost to this lineup.
Names like Matt Chapman could interest them as well, but the market is fairly thin at the position so they may have to get creative over the next few days.
Third Base Is Where the Yankees Are Actively Shopping
The New York Yankees need help at third base, and with Andy Martino mentioning that they’re actively shopping for help there, it’s easy to see why Isaac Paredes would be a fit for the team. He has 16 home runs and a 131 wRC+ on the season, and the Yankees need someone like him to clean up behind Aaron Judge where the team hasn’t gotten any production at all.
Right now the Yankees are dead-last in wRC+ (70) and OPS (.592) from the four-hole this season, and they need support there desperately. Someone who hits for power is important because most of their round-trippers come from Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and Giancarlo Stanton. They need ways to clear the bases and cash in during critical situations, which they’ve struggled to do over the last few weeks.
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Matt Chapman has a 113 wRC+ on the season and 2.8 fWAR, which makes him one of the best third basemen in baseball in both metrics. The problem is that the San Francisco Giants haven’t declared themselves as sellers yet, and even if they do, I haven’t found a report that suggests Chapman is on the market. To be fair, Seranthony Dominguez was traded to the Baltimore Orioles earlier today, and nothing suggested he would get dealt.
If there’s a fit and a team is willing to listen to offers, that player could be on the market, but only time will tell if Matt Chapman is moved. While he has 14 home runs across 101 games, he doesn’t feel like the massive upgrade that they need at the plate and should look to add another bat alongside Chapman if they choose to go down this route. With a player opt-out after the 2024 season, I don’t think the Yankees would have to part ways with much to get him.
Luis Rengifo is a popular name for third base but he has a lot of red flags under the hood due to a poor batted ball profile and massive defensive issues. Bullpen help and rotation help were also mentioned by Andy Martino, with names like Tanner Scott and Carlos Estevez making sense given their pedigrees as closers with swing-and-miss stuff.