Who Should The New York Yankees Trade For?
With the MLB All-Star Weekend over, it is time for the second half of the baseball season. For many teams climbing up the standings in their division, having their whole organization focused for this second half is pivotal for their success. For the New York Yankees, this second half is crucial to pick themselves back up after having an atrocious June and July.
Trades Will Be Make Or Break For The Bronx Bombers
The Yankees must focus on and off the field. Any moves the Yankees might make by the trade deadline will strengthen the team. Not making any moves will make this season a waste, especially with Juan Soto in the lineup.
Playing well won’t cut it for Yankee fans, as they see the holes that need to be filled before attempting to have a successful postseason. While trade suggestions for Tanner Scott and Ryan McMahon were on the board throughout the season, rumors have been on the rise about these other players on the market who could be better options for New York. Making trades will be necessary for a potential World Series run, but the trades must happen soon before it’s too late.
Closing The Show
The New York Yankees had their worst months of baseball in June and July, and there’s not much more to be said there. The Yankees now have a chance to climb back up to first place in the American League East. With some well-needed rest, New York should get back to winning games.
The Yankees’ bullpen ERA was 4.17, which ranked 21st in the MLB. Clay Holmes has not been himself recently. Holmes started the month of June with an ERA of 1.42 and entered the All-Star Break with an ERA of 2.77. New York should consider the market for closing pitchers as one of their top priorities.
Beefing Up The Bullpen
Grabbing Tanner Scott would be a great choice with his high strikeout rate, but having a former Yankee could be enticing. Two-time All-Star Kirby Yates has looked phenomenal, posting a 1.05 ERA on 34.1 innings pitched. The Yankees could allow Yates to redeem himself after having a tough outing during his time as a Yankee in 2016.
During the 2016 season, Yates had a 5.23 ERA on 41.1 innings pitched. His time with the Yankees was a far cry compared to how Yates is now. Acquiring an elite relief pitcher like Kirby Yates can help the Yankees beef up their bullpen.
Infield Woes For The New York Yankees
Looking into the Yankees infield, they have been less than stellar. Outside of Ben Rice, the rest of the infield has struggled to produce. Anthony Volpe, DJ LeMaheiu, and Gleyber Torres have been awful this past month.
Volpe had a strong start in his sophomore season with a 21-game hitting streak but has slumped in July. In his last 20 at-bats, Volpe managed only three hits. Volpe comes off the All-Star Break with a batting average of .245 and an OPS of .666.
Both DJ LeMaheiu and Gleyber Torres are having their worst seasons so far. LeMaheiu’s batting average is at .188, with an OPS of .497. While Torres is coming off a groin injury, he enters the second half of the season with a batting average of .231 and an OPS of .654. It’s safe to say the Yankees need to strengthen in the infield.
An Angel In The Field
While it would be hard to trade away Torres and LeMaheiu, the perfect replacement would be the Los Angeles Angels’ second baseman, Luis Rengifo. Rengifo has been having a fantastic season, batting at .315, with an OPS of .800, and slugging at .442. Rengifo would be a tremendous addition to the infield, but the only issue is what the Yankees could offer.
With the Los Angeles Angels looking to rebuild soon with the loss of Shohei Ohtani and an aging Mike Trout, the Yankees could persuade them to trade the farm. Including Gleyber Torres in the trade package could add some leeway, but there’s no guarantee that Torres’ value can help leverage a trade for Rengifo.
Swaggy Jazzy
Another batter who can strengthen the lineup and bring energy into the clubhouse is Miami Marlins outfielder and second baseman Jazz Chisolm Jr. At .249/.321/.407, Chisholm can hit well and is quick to get on base. Chisolm's demeanor and energy can help spark the clubhouse and give life to a Yankees team that's been feeling defeated.
Chisholm ranks in the 98th percentile in base running value and 78th in sprint speed. Having a speedster like Chisolm will add to the lineup and give the Yankees another weapon to utilize outside of Judge and Soto.
The Yankees could get a two-player deal and bring in relief pitcher Tanner Scott. New York would have to sacrifice their farm outside of Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones, but if the Yankees are trying to win now, trading the farm will be worth the sacrifice.
The second half of the MLB season will ramp things up for the rest of the league looking to add a World Series banner to their organization. If the New York Yankees want to add championship number 28 this season, making these trades will be critical to their success in both the second half of the season and the postseason.
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