The New York Yankees were dealt another blow to their roster, as Aaron Judge will hit the injured list with a flexor strain, and when he returns he’ll need to return as a designated hitter.
Giancarlo Stanton is expected to start getting outfield reps, but I’d also expect the Yankees to continue pursuing a bat that can hit from the right-handed side and play shortstop.
Willi Castro, who a free agent at season’s end, is expected to be traded by the Twins at the trade deadline, and the Yankees are among teams interested.
He’s a name who continues to come up in trade conversations for the Bronx Bombers, a renewal of talks that took playce over the offseason, sources tell Empire Sports Media.
The switch-hitting utilityman has a 109 OPS+ and has hit better against left-handed pitchers this season, and his versatility in both the infield and outfield makes him a name who won’t stop buzzing inside Yankees’ circles.
Source: Yankees Are Holding Trade Conversations Regarding Willi Castro
Back in June, we reported on Empire Sports Media that the Yankees and Twins held offseason trade conversations regarding utilityman Willi Castro.
These were not just exploratory conversations; the Yankees’ front office took a liking to Willi Castro and wanted to acquire him as a potential solution to their infield issues.
His ability to play multiple positions and hit at a solid level from both sides make him a perfect fit for an offense that has logjams and some handedness imbalance at times.
It also gives them the ability to give Anthony Volpe an off-day, which many analysts and fans have pointed out tends to result in better offensive production.
While the Yankees could acquire Castro alone, Brian Cashman would love to package prospects together to add some quality relief pitching to this deal.
READ MORE: Are the Yankees considering promoting their top outfield prospect amid Aaron Judge’s injury?
Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax are players of interest for the Yankees, alongside rental veteran Danny Coulombe, who could improve their left-handed pitching depth.
Tim Hill has been better as of late, but he’s been overworked in these roles and the Yankees fear of what could happen to their bullpen if they overuse their limited pool of reliable arms.
Brian Cashman has already engaged the Twins on talks to try and acquire a bullpen arm, but whether the Twins deal one of their controllable late-inning weapons remains to be seen.
People with knowledge of the Twins’ deadline plans have described them as hesitant to deal away these players, and from an outside perspective, neither Duran or Jax are players that will clog up payroll in 2026.
The Twins could wait until the offseason or just try and compete next summer, re-tooling right now and continuing to bolster a strong farm system.
Players such as Isiah Kiner-Falefa could also be of interest to the Yankees if they whiff in their pursuit of Willi Castro per sources.
My educated guess? The Yankees view the Twins as the team they’d like to acquire their infielder and bullpen support from, but view the Pirates as a more than viable pivot option.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa and David Bednar carry less trade value than Willi Castro and Jhoan Duran or Griffin Jax, with the latter package coming with a reliever whom has control through 2027 while Bednar is just through 2026.
Castro is better than IKF, and Duran is the best reliever available at the deadline, but if New York strikes out on some targets in Minnesota, they target a package deal with the Pirates.
Brian Cashman is expected to be aggressive at the deadline according to sources, and the Yankees will try and improve the roster more after adding defensive wizard Ryan McMahon yesterday.
More about: New York Yankees
