One of the biggest questions surrounding the Yankees right now is in regards to what they’ll do at this year’s trade deadline, as they have some holes on their roster despite their success. The corner infield will be a topic of discussion for weeks, but so will their bullpen and overall pitching depth given how good they could be with the right additions. On Foul Territory, Ken Rosenthal was asked about the Yankees’ plans at the deadline and whether they would choose to be aggressive or not, and he made it clear that Brian Cashman will likely be busy making phone calls.
The state of this team is great, they aren’t in dire need of upgrades, but that should only fuel them even more to try and swing big because this could be their best chance to win a title since 2009.
Ken Rosenthal Expects the Yankees To Be Aggressive At the Deadline
There are some areas where the Yankees could certainly use some help on both sides of the baseball, as the infield and bullpen could use a lift. The Yankees have gotten -0.4 fWAR and an 83 wRC+ from the first base position this season, with Anthony Rizzo looking like a shell of the player they once acquired. His numbers since suffering the concussion against Fernando Tatis Jr. are jarring, and it looks like they’ll have to address that part of the roster.
We could also see the Yankees acquire a third baseman, sliding DJ LeMahieu over to first base or even see the MLB debut of surging prospect Ben Rice. The third Wild Card has created uncertainty regarding who will become sellers and who will become buyers at this year’s trade deadline, and some names that could appeal to the Yankees might not be as available as fans think.
Many around the baseball world have noted that Rockies’ third baseman Ryan McMahon would be a great fit, but they’ve also mentioned that Colorado does not want to part ways with him. It seems as if the Yankees will have to look to other options, but players like Christian Walker, LaMonte Wade Jr., and Matt Chapman who could bolster their infield are on teams that aren’t out of it just yet because of how bad the National League has been.
It’s also clear that the Yankees want to add some bullpen help, as reported by SNY’s Andy Martino last week, as they don’t have enough swing-and-miss in their bullpen. A name who hasn’t been discussed much that could be moved is Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals, as he boasts the power fastball that the Yankees could covet as a way to pair with Clay Holmes.
If the Yankees look to add left-handed arms, we know that the Miami Marlins will likely sell, and Tanner Scott or Andrew Nardi could be attractive names that bring some swing-and-miss to the table. It seems that Scott has turned around his command issues from earlier in the season, walking just 9.7% of batters faced with a 30.6% strikeout rate over his last 19 IP, and he has the kind of arsenal and high-leverage experience that the Yankees could target.
Perhaps they are looking for a reliever with multiple years of control to serve as the heir to Clay Holmes, and pitchers like the aforementioned Helsley and Nardi would fit that profile well. However the Yankees choose to fix their roster problems, it’s clear that they won’t just sit on their hands and hope a deal falls into place this summer. This is a great team, and the Yankees should go all-in to bring home their 28th World Series Championship.