In an attempt to halt the skid that his club has been on, New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman has been active before the MLB trade deadline. He's already swung three trades to try and improve the team's lineup. After bringing in third baseman Ryan McMahon and infielder Amed Rosario in separate moves, Cashman then moved to acquire outfielder Austin Slater from the Chicago White Sox. Following the trade, Slater shared his thoughts about the move with Yankees beat reporter Bryan Hoch via X (formerly Twitter).

“‘I’m really excited to go play for the Yankees,' Austin Slater said in Chicago (via Hoch on Wednesday evening). ‘It’s one of those teams as a kid you always dream about playing for. They’re right in a race for the playoffs. I’m excited to go there and try to help them out.'”

This latest move might be in response to superstar outfielder Aaron Judge's trip to the IL. The good news is that Judge's injury won't end his season, and he should be back sooner rather than later. Still, he needs to be replaced in the lineup. Veteran Giancarlo Stanton might play the outfield while Judge is out, but that is a last resort. Now that Slater is in the Bronx living his “dream,” he should be able to step into the fourth outfielder role that Trent Grisham has carved out on the roster. What else can New York do to help replace Judge?

Yankees need to replace Aaron Judge in lineup for next few weeks

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) makes a catch for an out during the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Yankee Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The McMahon move was made to finally address third base, easily the team's worst spot in the lineup. At full strength, Rosario and Slater would likely start against lefties only. For now, though, Slater will be a part of the puzzle to help replace the Yankee captain. Although the team cannot truly replace Judge's production (he's currently the front-runner for the AL MVP for many reasons), Cashman still has a little under 24 hours to make more moves.

The New York GM still wants to chase pitching, especially for the bullpen. Injuries have ravaged the entire major league staff, so another starting pitcher or two would also be useful. Reports have indicated that the Yankees are chasing bullpen help, and the market is flush with options there. Will Cashman make a couple more moves to help his team make it back to October?

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