The New York Yankees are fading fast, but with the MLB trade deadline approaching, there is still time to add some juice to their lineup and staff.
Since June 15, the Yankees have the third-worst batting average in Major League Baseball (.225) and only three everyday hitters have an above-average OPS+ overall. Their starting pitching hasn't been sparkling either, with Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon, and Marcus Stroman all falling back to Earth. Yankees starters have combined for a 6.24 ERA – by far the worst in the league – over the past six weeks.
By this point, seemingly every team the Yankees contact will want to pry Spencer Jones from their farm system. New York doesn't want to move their No. 2 prospect, but they'd be willing to do so if the return is big enough — think Tarik Skubal or Garrett Crochet.
They can still make plenty of upgrades while keeping Spencer around (and Jasson Dominguez, for that matter). The Yankees don't have the greatest farm system out there, but there's plenty of talent to mine, particularly among players ready or almost ready for the majors.
Yankees must consider Everson Pereira trade
Yankees No. 5 prospect
Everson Pereira is the perfect combination of MLB-ready, hitting well in the minors, and without a clear spot on the Yankees' roster in the immediate future. Not only do the Yankees plan on Aaron Judge and Juan Soto occupying two of the three outfield spots for the foreseeable future, but Dominguez and Jones are both ahead of Pereira in the pecking order.
There's just one problem. Pereira underwent elbow surgery in June and will miss the remainder of the season as he recovers. That decreases his value, but does not diminish it.
He hit 10 home runs with an .859 OPS in 40 games before his injury, which is more or less in line with his career minor league numbers. The Yankees could wait to move Pereira until next season, after he presumably recovers, but there's no guarantee his trade value will increase in that time. Even without drawing the same return as he would have healthy, Pereira can still be a major factor if the Yankees want to move him.
Brock Selvidge finds himself on trade block
Yankees No. 10 prospect
The Yankees have traded a lot of pitching talent over the last few years and it might be painful for fans to see them part with a left-handed starting prospect who takes after Andy Pettitte. They still might want to.
Brock Selvidge has quickly risen in the ranks of Yankees prospects as the team's third-round pick in 2021. So have Henry Lalane and Kyle Carr, two other lefties. Selvidge has a little more name recognition with a selection to the MLB Futures Game earlier this month, and despite posting so-so numbers thus far in Double-A, he's been productive in each stop in the minors.
Selvidge was ultimately sidelined from the Futures Game with biceps soreness, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports the injury is not considered serious.
Yankees take a risk with Agustin Ramirez deal
Yankees No. 20 prospect
The gamble with trading Agustin Ramirez is that Jose Trevino and Austin Wells haven't exactly lit the world on fire and Trevino is on the injured list. The reality i, however, he might not project as a Major League catcher anyway.
After positively raking in Double-A Somerset this year (.942 OPS, 16 HR in 58 games), Ramirez is still finding his stroke in Triple-A. Still, one scout told Sherman that he expects Ramirez to contribute for a Big League team.
“I’m not sure it will be at catcher, but I think he will hit in the majors,” the scout said.
Ramirez's lack of agility and hands as reasons for his struggles behind the plate and suggests he may work better at first base, MLB Pipeline cites. While that's another area of need for the Yankees, their hope is probably that rookie Ben Rice keeps hitting and Anthony Rizzo can return and be productive.
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