NEW YORK – For Aaron Judge, a first impression of what he believed the 2026 Yankees could look like still stands out.
It was late March in San Francisco, and the Yankees had won the season’s first two games, holding the Giants scoreless through 18 innings. Too many times, those were the kinds of situations where they seemed to relax last year, and those breathers eventually cost New York the division.
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So Judge was among several veterans who spoke to the team that weekend, cautioning against complacency. It responded with another victory, finishing off a sweep.
“You go back to those games in San Francisco, you passed the baton,” Judge said. “Guys will work a tough at-bat, they’ll take their walk, they’ll move the runner over. It’s the little things like that. Even if a guy has a nine-, 10-pitch at-bat, it wears down a pitcher to where the guy behind him might get a good pitch to hit.”
That tenacity and sense of urgency could apply to the Yankees’ approach at the Trade Deadline, too. The phrase “run it back” followed the club from winter into spring, and though it seemed to carry a negative connotation, the front office believed the 2025 group was worth another roll of the dice.
In some cases, that has proven true. The first half has also given general manager Brian Cashman a clearer read about which areas need attention ahead of the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline.
“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, whether it’s pitching or offense.”
Cashman’s moves from last July featured some big swings – and a few misses. The Yankees’ haul included Ryan McMahon, Amed Rosario, José Caballero, David Bednar, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird, significantly reshaping the roster.
This year, catcher and bullpen appear to be their most likely targets. Cashman acknowledged the club’s catching is “an issue,” with Austin Wells and others having collectively produced a .176 batting average, a .521 OPS and 46 wRC+ – all ranking near the bottom of the Majors.
The Twins’ Ryan Jeffers is a potential target, especially given a pre-existing relationship with catching coach Tanner Swanson. The Rockies’ Hunter Goodman offers even greater power upside, though the Yanks were expecting that from Wells, who cracked 21 homers last year.
“It’s become an area of concern, clearly, when it wasn’t expected to be,” Cashman said. “But I know [Wells is] doing everything he can, and they are doing everything they can, to improve in that category. And I know they are capable of that. At the same time, it’s been a struggle.”
The Yankees had hoped to upgrade their relief crew with electricity from within, transitioning flame-throwing Carlos Lagrange – their No. 4 prospect – into a reliever. But a right capsule strain has sidelined the youngster for at least six weeks.
Now the Yanks will be seeking at least one outside arm to bolster a staff that produced a Majors-best 3.04 bullpen ERA across the first half but lacked swing and miss, with its 8.41 K/9 rate tying the Mariners for 17th best.
“I wanted to find out what we had internally, and then measure that against the external options,” Cashman said.
Though there has been dreamy outside talk about a blockbuster trade for the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal, the Yankees view their starting pitching as a strength.
Led by Cam Schlittler and Gerrit Cole, the Yankees feel they have the makings of a formidable playoff rotation, with Max Fried close to a Minor League rehab assignment and Carlos Rodón also progressing. Their respective returns could eventually move Will Warren or Ryan Weathers into the bullpen.
Clarke Schmidt, who is advancing in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, is also a second-half relief option.
“We’ve lost some important people, but thankfully, we’ll be getting them back,” Cashman said. “We don’t want to take on any more water. We understand how important pitching is.”
Biggest need
The Yankees rank near the bottom of the league in catchers’ offense, with Wells slashing .155/.247/.258 in 66 games. While there are concerns about importing a catcher during the season because of potential disruption to the pitching staff, New York has been strongly connected to Jeffers, who could comprise the right-handed-hitting part of a platoon with Wells.
Biggest chip
With the Yankees apparently unwilling to dangle top prospect George Lombard Jr. and Lagrange, Elmer Rodríguez could anchor a difference-making deal. The right-hander has made four big league appearances this season, pitching to a 4.76 ERA across 17 innings. Rodríguez, 22, was the return in the Carlos Narváez trade and is ranked as the club’s No. 3 prospect and MLB’s No. 74 overall by MLB Pipeline.
Key player for second half
No addition the Yankees could make between now and the end of the season compares to getting Judge back healthy. The captain and three-time American League MVP hasn’t played since late May, and the offense has sputtered for extended periods without him. Judge is having his fractured right rib reimaged during the All-Star break, but he’ll need more time to heal. The best-case scenario appears to be Judge returning sometime in August, but don’t rule out September.
Determining factor
Despite a June swoon that spilled into July, the Yankees reached the All-Star break in playoff position, leading the AL Wild Card chase and still within striking distance for the top spot in the division. Vibes were high after a sweep of the Nationals, and they’ll dive right back into the deep end with a three-game series against the Dodgers starting Friday at Yankee Stadium. New York's Chicago week leads right into the Deadline beginning July 27 – four games against the White Sox, three against the Cubs.