The New York Yankees will almost assuredly be buyers at the 2023 MLB trade deadline. In the middle of just about every summer, the Yankees make multiple trades to increase their chances of winning the World Series. Given New York's struggles and its position well out of first place in the AL East, a few Yankees' trades might be required or the team to have any hope of playing deep into October.

Who might the Yankees target ahead of the 2023 MLB trade deadline? That's the easy part. Whether it's Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito or Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes, many of the same players have been in trade rumors for much of the season. Other All-Star-caliber players will become available as teams fall out of contention closer to the 2023 trade deadline and decide to become sellers.

The hard part? The Yankees will have to trade prospects or promising young players in order to upgrade the major-league roster. In order to get something, you have to give up something. Making a trade for the purpose of chasing a championship in 2023 could come back to haunt New York in 2024, 2025 or 2026.

A few Yankees starters were in trade rumors earlier this year. New York was reportedly willing to shop Gleyber Torres in exchange for starting pitching help. Isiah Kiner-Falefa was considered to be expendable because the Yankees had a glut of infielders. Now, the team can ill-afford to move either player. With Aaron Judge and Harrison Bader battling injuries, along with DJ LeMahieu and Anthony Rizzo struggling at the plate, Torres and Kiner-Falefa have become two of New York's most consistent hitters.

Let's take a look at two Yankees players who should be on the trade block ahead of the 2023 deadline.

Yankees SS Prospect Oswald Peraza

Sooner or later, the Yankees are going to have to make a choice between Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe. Volpe won the starting job in spring training, but there are plenty of calls for him to be sent back down to the minor leagues. With Volpe mired in what's virtually been a season-long slump, Peraza is raking in Triple-A. In 29 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Peraza is hitting .307/.377/.581 with 10 home runs.

Yankees owner Hank Steinbrenner said he hasn't had any discussions about demoting Volpe. New York seems determined to make the 22-year-old rookie their shortstop of the future. If that's the case, the Yankees should consider trading Peraza to fill a hole on the major-league roster. He's doing the team no good playing in the minors.

Peraza's trade value might never be higher than it is a few weeks from the 2023 trade deadline. Even though the highly touted shortstop is dominating Triple-A pitching, there's no guarantee that he'll be able to do it against the best pitchers in the world. Before the 23-year-old was tearing up the minors, he was doing the opposite in the Bronx. Peraza hit .188 in 32 at-bats for the big-league club in 2023. He only had a single extra-base hit.

For all of Volpe's flaws, he still has nine home runs and wreaks havoc on the bases (on the rare occasions that he doesn't make an out). Volpe has 14 stolen bases in 14 attempts. He entered 2023 as a top-five prospect in all of MLB for a reason. The Yankees should take advantage of their depth and strongly consider sending Peraza to a team that has a spot for him in the majors.

Yankees SP Prospect Drew Thorpe

Drew Thorpe is the highest-ranked pitcher in the Yankees' farm system, according to MLB Pipeline. Thorpe is New York's No. 6 overall prospect, and that ranking could be climbing. Just one year removed from being selected in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Thorpe is crushing the opposition for the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades. In his latest outing, Thorpe recorded 12 strikeouts in seven shutout innings. He gave up five hits and didn't walk a single batter.

Thorpe's 2.91 ERA and 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings over 10 starts are sure to interest a seller who is looking to unload veterans at the trade deadline. He's projected to reach the majors in 2025, fitting the timeline of a team that is rebuilding. The Yankees are trying to win championships in 2023 and 2024. It would behoove New York to at least put Thorpe on the trade block and see what kind of offers might be out there.

In a perfect world, Thorpe will be part of the Yankees' rotation for the second half of the decade. Perfect scenarios rarely come to fruition with minor leaguers. As a 22-year-old High-A pitcher, Thorpe's future as a major leaguer is unpredictable. What if a superstar like St. Louis Cardinals slugger Nolan Arenado suddenly comes available? The Yankees will have to take a long look at the idea of trading their best pitching prospect.