NEW YORK — Nestor Cortes knows the reality of being a New York Yankee. Almost everyone inside the clubhouse should feel angst with the trade deadline looming, especially given the team’s performance since early June.
The Yankees need better players in multiple areas of their roster. They are among the few teams considered “all in,” a commitment solidified when they traded for Juan Soto in the offseason. With Soto becoming a free agent at season’s end, the Yankees must do whatever it takes to position themselves best before October.
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“I’m sure the front office is going to do something to make this team better,” Cortes said this weekend. “We’ve been struggling.”
Some Yankees fans might only be half-joking when they express a desire to see 15 new players inside the clubhouse by next Wednesday afternoon, given how the team has performed lately. But of course, that is unrealistic. Even acquiring four new regulars might be a stretch due to the limitations of the trade market. Most of the Yankees’ improvement will need to come from better performances from those already in the lineup, the starting rotation and bullpen.
But the Yankees will likely be aggressive in trying to upgrade through trades because that’s what they usually do when they believe their roster is championship-caliber. Let’s run through some ideal and realistic possibilities the Yankees can explore before Tuesday’s deadline.
Yankees get a new third baseman
Replacing DJ LeMahieu in the lineup should be a top priority over the next six days. LeMahieu looks cooked. He’s 36 years old, and his metrics have trended downward since he won the batting title in 2020. The Yankees should not operate with a sunk cost fallacy with LeMahieu because he’s owed $30 million over the next two years. He should be moved to a bench or platoon role because he’s been a below-average hitter over the past two calendar years. Since the 2022 All-Star break, LeMahieu has a 90 wRC+.
Though teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles could take several big swings if they wanted because of their top-end young talent, the Yankees likely only have one major move in them. Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Isaac Paredes should be the target if the Yankees want to make a splash.
The homer Paredes continues pic.twitter.com/0EdxaqPtAp
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 20, 2024
A deal centered on The Athletic’s Keith Law’s No. 4 Yankees prospect Spencer Jones would have to be the starting point. Jones has star potential if he can put it all together, which he hasn’t this season. He’s struck out in over 37 percent of his at-bats in Double A. With Paredes having three more years of team control and this being a World Series or bust year, it’s worth trading Jones for a top-end established major leaguer.
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It wouldn’t stop at just Jones, though. Jones, 2023 first-round pick George Lombard Jr., 2023 top international free agent Brando Mayea and lottery ticket pitcher Carlos Lagrangemight be enough for Paredes. You might be reading this and think that’s too much; but only José Ramirez, Rafael Devers, Austin Riley and Manny Machado have a higher wRC+ at third base since 2022 than Paredes.
Paredes would provide much-needed pop in the middle of the Yankees order and provide more protection behind Aaron Judge. The Yankees had J.D. Davis hitting cleanup in the first game of the Subway Series on Tuesday night. The New York Mets responded by walking Judge in his first three plate appearances before intentionally walking him in his fourth with Ben Rice pinch hitting. Giancarlo Stanton should be back soon, but he’s coming back from injury and hasn’t been the same when that has happened the last two seasons. Jasson Domínguez is expected to start playing in minor-league games within the week and could be an option later this season to replace Alex Verdugo in left field.
Adding Paredes would be a major move for the Yankees. It’s a trade that instantly makes their team better not just this season but also in the future.
Yankees add firepower to the rotation
Adding to the starting rotation isn’t the Yankees’ biggest need, but their staff could get much better if they wished. The Detroit Tigers will likely trade Jack Flaherty, an impending free agent. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden wrote the Tigers should be able to get a top-seven prospect from an average farm system or two top-15 prospects for him. Several contenders will want Flaherty, which could jack the prices up.
Jack Flaherty, 94mph Paint. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/uT6UDsWWPN
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 19, 2024
The Yankees could offer a package of starting pitcher Will Warren and outfielder Everson Pereira to the Tigers. Warren has struggled in Triple A this season and Pereira is out for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He’s expected to be ready for spring training. The Tigers get a pitching prospect who was in contention for making the Yankees out of spring training and Law’s No. 2 Yankees prospect.
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Flaherty would immediately become the Yankees’ second-best pitcher behind Gerrit Cole. Flaherty is one of baseball’s best strikeout pitchers this season and one of the best at limiting base runners. Adding Flaherty would allow the Yankees to move one of their current starters to the bullpen, like Luis Gil who has workload concerns.
A possible playoff rotation with Cole and Flaherty at the top would be one of the best in the American League.
Yankees add needed bullpen help
Outside of upgrading third base, the Yankees could use a couple of new relievers. The Chicago White Sox are holding a garage sale for almost everybody on their roster. Two relievers could make sense: John Brebbia, a former Yankees draft pick, and Michael Kopech. The Yankees need more relievers with swing-and-miss stuff; Brebbia and Kopech have two of the highest strikeout percentages out of the bullpen.
Brebbia has a 5.22 ERA this season but a FIP of 3.12, which is an indicator that he hasn’t been as bad as the surface numbers suggest. Kopech has a 4.85 ERA but a 4.88 FIP. His problem is his lack of command. He’s walked nearly five batters per nine innings. If the Yankees could help with his command, they’d have a pitcher who ranks in the 92nd percentile in strikeout rate.
The Yankees could get by with grabbing both for Yoendrys Gómez and Oswald Peraza, who has seen his value drop since last season. It’s a bit of an overpay here but, again, the market is limited and many teams are going to be interested.
A trade deadline of Paredes, Flaherty, Brebbia and Kopech would be quite the haul for the Yankees. It’ll cost significant prospect capital, but this team needs reinforcements.
(Photo of Isaac Paredes: Kyle Rivas / Getty Images)
Chris Kirschner is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the New York Yankees. He previously covered the Atlanta Hawks from 2018-2022 for The Athletic. Chris was named Georgia's Sportswriter of the Year in 2021 for his work covering the Hawks. Chris is a native of Bronx, NY. Follow Chris on Twitter @chriskirschner
