Trade Wishes For New York Yankees In 2025

The trade deadline is right around the corner in Major League Baseball. It is at 6 p.m. on July 31. The Yankees need to acquire talent. General Manager, Brian Cashman, said as much, as there is no doubt the Yankees need to be buyers at the deadline.

As Cashman said, the Yankees’ priorities are third base, starting pitching, and relief pitching. This article will assess each of the three positions where the Yankees are expected to acquire talent via trade. But we will first cover some trade deadline rules and regulations. Do you think the Yankees should be “buyers” at the deadline?

The Trade Deadline

The baseball trade deadline is the last point during the season when players on 40-man rosters can be traded from one club to another. Those players may still be placed and claimed on outright waivers, but trades will no longer be permitted after July 31 at 6 p.m. The deadline used to be at 4 p.m. Before 2019, the July 31 trade deadline was referred to as the non-waiver trade deadline, and players could be moved after that date if they first cleared revocable trade waivers.

Yankee Acquisition Priorities

With the semantics out of the way, what are the Yankees’ priorities? Cashman did not specify priorities. Far and away, the highest priority for the Yankees at the deadline is third base. Oswald Peraza has the lowest batting average of any player in the major leagues. He has also made so many fielding errors that fans hold their breath every time.

When he does not play, the Yankees are playing rookie Jorbit Vivas. He looks like a rookie. He is hitting poorly and making defensive and base running mistakes. This is all after the Yankees released DJ LeMahieu and moved Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second base. Third base has been a black hole for the Yankees for years.

The Yankees need a third baseman in the worst possible way. They have been linked to four possibilities. Eugenio Suarez of the Arizona Diamondbacks is one possibility. Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians is a second. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is a third. IKF played for the Yankees. There are a few others. The key question is whether the Yankees are willing to part with heavy-hitting prospect Spencer Jones. Jones hits home runs, but he strikes out a bunch. Also, he plays outfield, and the Yankees, who want to re-sign Cody Bellinger, do not have a spot for him.

Starting and relief pitching were also identified by Cashman as priorities. Nevertheless, if the Yankees expend their key prospect on acquiring a third baseman, then they will not have one to spend on a pitcher. Now, you cannot have too much pitching, but the Yankees are supposed to get starting pitcher Luis Gil and Relief Pitcher Fernando Cruz back from injury. Other relief pitchers are coming back, too.

The Yankees may not acquire a starting pitcher. They are more likely to acquire a relief pitcher for very little, someone we do not know. The Yankees are very good at turning those nameless arms into effective relief pitchers. Expect more of the same.

Peak Judge

There is some urgency here. True, the Yankees are struggling mightily now and making many mistakes. It is not in their nature to sell at the trade deadline. There is also the issue of peak Aaron Judge. He is having a great year, but he started playing after he went to college, and started late. He probably only has about three effective years left before he starts to slow down. The Yankees need to win the World Series when he is at his peak. This would mean the Yankees should trade prospects for established players. Like Eugenio Suarez.

Conclusion

It is fascinating what the Yankees may do at the trade deadline. They are falling like a rock in the standings. They used to have a 7-game lead in the American League East; now they trail by four games. The Yankees need to acquire pitching and defense at the trade deadline, but they will likely do neither. It will be fascinating to watch.