Catcher? Bullpen? Outfielder? Who are Yankees targeting at Deadline?

This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch’s Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- There were reinforcements on the way as Brian Cashman surveyed the state of his roster earlier this month, with Max Fried working toward his eventual reinsertion to the rotation, and Carlos Rodón not far behind. The Yankees’ starting pitching depth is a luxury.

It’s the other parts of the roster that keep Cashman and members of the baseball operations department tossing and turning. That group is now headquartered at the Yankees’ complex in Tampa, Fla., where they’ll navigate the marketplace ahead of Monday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline.

“I usually talk to Cash most days, texting with different front office guys and sending my little thought bubbles to them,” manager Aaron Boone said on Wednesday. “They’re all down there ready to do their thing, and if something presents itself, they’ll strike.”

Cashman said then that some of their hitters were likely “choking the handles of their bats” trying to put crooked numbers on the scoreboard, and that largely holds true -- their seven wins in 11 games coming out of the All-Star break entering Wednesday have been fueled by excellent pitching.

“I think we’re open-minded at the Deadline to try to improve ourselves -- period, end of story,” Cashman said. “We’ll evaluate what’s available and try to push in on anything that makes sense.”

Catcher
A funny thing happened after Cashman declared the Yankees’ catching situation to be “an issue” -- Austin Wells and Ali Sánchez  started moving the needle in the right direction.

Wells went 7-for-28 (.250) with three homers in 11 games starting on July 9, noting that the ball looks “a little bigger” to him right now, while Sánchez has enjoyed success against left-handed pitching -- he’s 9-for-27 (.333) against southpaws, including his first Major League home run during the White Sox series.

The Yankees are still exploring alternatives. Rockies All-Star Hunter Goodman is an ideal but unlikely fit. They’ve been connected to the Twins’ Ryan Jeffers for months, but Minnesota has moved back into the playoff race and sees itself as a buyer. They have scouted the Reds’ Tyler Stephenson, a right-handed hitter who offers offensive upside, but the Yanks don’t love his defense.

Beyond that, the Mets are expected to listen on Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens, though it’s unclear if they’d want to help their crosstown rivals. One sleeper: Cardinals backup Pedro Pagés, who offers elite defense.

Outfielder
The Yankees were in the market for a right-handed-hitting outfielder even before Cody Bellinger injured his left hamstring in Philadelphia, likely putting him out until September. Aaron Judge hasn’t swung a bat since May 31, and the timeline for Giancarlo Stanton’s potential return remains murky.

Published reports have connected the Yankees to both lefties and righties. The Royals’ Lane Thomas is a realistic fit, a pending free agent and right-handed hitter who can play all three outfield positions. The Yanks have also asked about the Angels’ Jo Adell, who has more power and is under contract through next season.

Tyrone Taylor of the Mets has been swinging a hot bat of late, and he could lengthen the lineup until the Yanks get some of their injured stars back. Other potential targets include: Lars Nootbaar (Cardinals), Mickey Moniak (Rockies) and Heliot Ramos (Giants).

Bullpen
In March, the Yankees fantasized about plugging Carlos Lagrange into their bullpen as an impactful second-half arm. A right capsule strain derailed those plans, leading the Yanks to the market in search of a swing-and-miss upgrade.

The Padres’ Mason Miller is their dream target, as he’s under contract through 2029, but the asking price will be significant and there’s no guarantee San Diego will move him. The Padres are known to have asked about infield prospect Dax Kilby, the Yanks’ first-round pick from a year ago. That would only be one piece of a potential Miller trade.

Padres general manager A.J. Preller may be more inclined to move Adrian Morejon, a pending free agent. He won’t come cheaply; San Diego needs Major League-ready starting pitching, so Will Warren or Ryan Weathers could factor in. The Royals’ Daniel Lynch IV offers versatility and could be on the move.

Other possible targets include: Jeremiah Estrada (Padres), Luke Weaver (Mets) and JoJo Romero (Cardinals).

Starting pitcher
Four years ago, the Yankees made a surprise trade involving Jordan Montgomery because they determined he would not start in their postseason rotation. That’s a point to keep in mind as they currently project to have Gerrit Cole, Fried, Cam Schlittler and Rodón drawing playoff starts.

Any potential rotation move would need to upgrade that group, as Warren and/or Weathers could be in the playoff bullpen. There have been published reports connecting them to Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, but thus far the Yankees don’t appear to be the leaders in that pursuit.

One interesting note: the Yankees were among the teams scouting Clay Holmes’ Minor League rehab start for the Mets this week. Holmes is progressing well from a fractured right fibula, and they know him well. It’s believed Holmes would be receptive to a Bronx return, either as a starter or reliever.

Others include: Brady Singer (Reds), Michael Wacha (Royals) and Reid Detmers (Angels).