The Yankees (53-32) remain firmly in the upper echelon of the MLB despite their recent skid. However, to win its first championship since 2009, New York must make crucial upgrades through the trade market before the league's July 30th deadline.
The club's pitching staff has been its biggest sore spot recently, recording a 5.42 ERA so far in June, after registering 2.37 and 3.22 marks in May and April, respectively. The bullpen, which is now tied for ninth in the league with a 3.59 ERA after a hot start to the season, has been especially unreliable.
Additionally, the Yankees' infield depth is questionable at best. Between Anthony Rizzo's injury and inconsistent play from DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres, there has been little to be excited about in the infield besides shortstop Anthony Volpe, who's slashing .264/.319/.395 with six homers and 28 RBI.
While blockbuster names such as Athletics' closer Mason Miller, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, and Blue Jays first baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr. have all been linked to New York, there are plenty of quality secondary options for the team to look at too.
For bullpen help, the Yankees could look into acquiring Marlins closer Tanner Scott, via Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter.
“The 29-year-old was one of the best relievers in baseball last season, posting a 2.31 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 104 strikeouts in 78 innings while tallying 12 saves and 24 holds in 74 appearances,” Reuter explained. “He has been effective once again this year with a 1.59 ERA and 10 saves in 33 games, though his 23 walks and 16.2 percent walk rate are a bit troubling. He would immediately become the top lefty option in the Yankees bullpen.”
While New York closer Clay Holmes ranks sixth in the league with 19 saves, the club doesn't have reliable setup men or long relievers. Holmes also has four blown saves himself, which is less than ideal this early in the season.
Scott would give Aaron Boone flexibility to mix and match Holmes and Scott, experimenting with who he wants as the closer and the setup man.
Meanwhile, Angels infielder Luis Rengifo's positional versatility would inject much-needed life into the Yankees infield.
“Luis Rengifo fits the mold as someone who has seen regular action at second base, shortstop, and third base throughout his career, and he comes with the added value of club control through 2025, so he could provide depth this year and a built-in replacement for Torres if he walks in free agency this winter,” Reuter continued.
The 27-year-old is fourth in the league with a .315 batting average, to go with six homers and 24 RBI. However, the Yankees would have to cough up significant assets to acquire anyone of that ilk.
With Torres and outfielder Alex Verdugo hitting free agency this offseason, they'd be easy candidates to pick as trade chips. However, Verdugo has been one of the few reliable players on both sides of the ball not named Aaron Judge or Juan Soto, and Torres is unlikely to fetch much value with his current production (.223/.229/.348).
Furthermore, trading away starters midseason could mess with the vibe and chemistry within the clubhouse, which are both crucial elements of championship teams.
Looking at the farm system, Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones are viewed as “untouchables,” via The Athletic's Brendan Kuty. Dominguez, who hit four homers in just one week of major-league action before going down with a UCL injury in September, is viewed by New York as its future left fielder next to Judge and Soto.
Although Jones is hitting just .228 at Double-A Somerset, the Yankees believe he has the tools to be a superstar and would need a “game-changing” offer to deal him, via Kuty.
This begs the question: what prospects should New York give up for the immediate help it needs this season?
3B Oswald Peraza
Peraza and New York infielder Oswaldo Cabrera both got called up in 2022, but only the latter has been able to stay in the big leagues thus far. The 24-year-old has slashed just .216/.298/.306 with three homers and 16 RBI across 70 MLB games but still has a reliable glove and time on his side.
“Peraza battled in spring training 2023 for the Yankees’ starting shortstop spot,” Kuty explained. “A shoulder injury this spring training held him out of games until early May, and though he’s hit just .149 in 13 Triple-A games, the Yankees have bounced him around the infield. His defense remains high level and he’s got pop (.836 OPS in Triple-A in 2023).”
Peraza may not have a major-league-level bat yet, but he has shown flashes of being a potential small-ball, defensive-minded standout. He's not a star but should be relevant enough to be in a trade package.
OF Everson Pereira
Pereira has Dominguez's power-hitting prowess and defensive versatility, but he doesn't get enough hits. The native Venezuelan hit just .151 with no homers and 10 RBI in 93 big-league at-bats last season and was hitting .265 at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before going down for the year with the same UCL injury Dominguez had.
“The 23-year-old Pereira’s power remains prodigious, he’s capable of playing all over the outfield, and the Yankees love his makeup,” Kuty continued. “But he’s still striking out a lot (32.4 percent), and the last time the Yankees had a highly talented yet strikeout-prone outfield prospect (Estevan Florial), he became trade fodder. [The Athletic's Keith] Law ranked Pereira as the Yankees’ No. 2 overall prospect going into the season.”
While Peraza could theoretically get called up to fill in at third base this year if needed, Pereira's Tommy John surgery puts him out of commission for the rest of the year. With New York gunning for the World Series this season, it's best served to deal with any non-essential prospect for an immediate return.
RHP Will Warren
Warren was a surprise inclusion in the battle for the fifth starting spot in the Yankees rotation this past spring, but the job went to current Cy Young Award candidate Luis Gil. The right-hander has struggled in Triple-A since then, posting a 6.53 ERA and 146 WHIP across 70.1 innings thus far.
However, the 25-year-old is still young enough to be a reclamation project for another organization, as there's a reason why New York drafted him in the eighth round in 2021.
C/1B Agustin Ramirez
Ramirez has had a better minor league campaign than Jones this year, hitting .270 with 17 homers, 54 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and a .884 OPS between both Double- and Triple-A. The Dominican native was called up to Triple-A in June and should be ready for the big leagues within the next couple of years if he stays on his current trajectory.
Agustin Ramirez, 22, has put up monster exit velocities and traditional numbers…and though his defense lags behind his bat, he’s worked some first base into his game,” Kuty continued.
Ramirez is another perfect inclusion for any organization that is not yet contending but is slowly getting there. New York, however, doesn't have time to wait for young prospects to develop.
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