Yankees need offense -- will they get it from a division rival?

July 25th, 2024

MLB.com is keeping track of all the latest Yankees-related free agent and trade rumors right here. The 2024 MLB Trade Deadline is July 30 at 6 p.m. ET.

July 24: Might Yankees deal for Rays' pair to bolster lineup?
The Yankees' offense has been a two-man show of late -- Aaron Judge and Juan Soto have really been the only consistent contributors in the Bronx Bombers' lineup. That was evident again in their 12-3 loss to the Mets on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium, when Soto hit his 26th homer but the Yanks couldn't muster much more. The question as the July 30 Trade Deadline nears is: Will they be able to add offense via trade?

According to Joel Sherman in an article for the New York Post, a pair of options that the Yankees may be considering are from a division rival -- Rays second baseman/outfielder Brandon Lowe and infielder/outfielder Amed Rosario. Lowe, who got off to a slow start at the plate this season, has turned things around lately with three homers over his last six games. And Rosario is hitting .306 with a .740 OPS in 258 plate appearances.

July 24: Where will Yankees turn in search for infielder?
The Yankees’ need for a bat to help out Aaron Judge and Juan Soto was on full display once again Tuesday night in the club’s 3-2 loss to the Mets. Judge walked four times on the night, but starting first baseman J.D. Davis and pinch-hitter Ben Rice combined to go 0-for-5 behind him.

New York mustered just five hits in the game and has averaged 4.29 runs per game in July. The Yanks are 11-22 since June 13, and their infielders have posted a collective 87 wRC+ this season, tied for the sixth-lowest mark in MLB.

The Yankees are casting a wide net in their search for infield help, but some of the top names in which they have interest might not be available or are questionable fits.

According to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, the Yankees inquired about Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon (under contract through 2027), but the club has informed McMahon he won’t be traded.

New York is also interested in the Reds’ Jonathan India (controllable through 2026), but Cincinnati isn’t expected to trade him unless it continues to fall out of the NL Wild Card race in the coming days.

The Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. (controllable through 2026) is expected to be available, but Castillo reports that the Yankees organization is concerned about how his personality would fit in its clubhouse.

The Cubs recently signaled their intention to plan for the future and could be open to trading second baseman Nico Hoerner (signed through 2026), but Hoerner arguably wouldn’t be enough of an offensive upgrade to justify Chicago’s asking price. Over 94 games this season, Hoerner has hit .260 with four homers and a .693 OPS.

Perhaps the most likely target is Angels infielder Luis Rengifo (controllable through 2025), who is hitting .314 with six homers, 22 steals and a .796 OPS over 70 games this season. Rengifo owns a .761 OPS since the beginning of 2022 and has experience at second base, third base and shortstop, as well as in the outfield.

July 23: Yanks reportedly interested in reunion with RHP Green
From 2017-22, Chad Green was one of the more effective high-leverage relievers in baseball, posting a 2.96 ERA and a 27.3% strikeout-minus-walk rate with the Yankees. He is enjoying a stellar season with the Blue Jays, and perhaps it ends with the right-hander back in the Bronx.

The Yankees are interested in reuniting with Green, according to MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi. The 33-year-old Green has a 1.88 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP across 28 2/3 innings in his second year with Toronto. He is under contract through 2025 and is due to make $10.5 million next season.

Green would boost a Yankees bullpen that ranks sixth in MLB in ERA (3.49) and opponents' batting average (.220). However, since June 13, that group has pitched to a 4.17 ERA, and closer Clay Holmes has permitted 12 runs (eight earned) over 9 2/3 frames. Given his recent struggles, the Yanks could look to bolster the backend of their 'pen with a familiar face. As Morosi notes, Green could help out in the ninth inning -- he is 7-for-7 in save opportunities this year -- and was a popular teammate during his time with New York.

July 21: Are Yanks open to trading prospect Spencer Jones in a deal for an ace?
The Yankees may be warming to the idea of trading outfield prospect Spencer Jones (MLB Pipeline’s No. 73 overall prospect) if it lands them an ace pitcher at the Trade Deadline.

According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Bronx Bombers have shown a willingness to include Jones in a trade for White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet or Tigers lefty Tarik Skubal. The 23-year-old outfielder has recorded a troubling 37.1% strikeout rate at Double-A Somerset in 2024, but he’s still highly coveted around the game.

Of course, just because the Yanks might be open to trading Jones doesn’t mean they’re close to a deal for either pitcher. Per Nightengale, the White Sox are holding out for a bigger package for Crochet. Skubal, meanwhile, will likely cost even more to convince the Tigers to move him.

On July 17, MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi said on social media that a Skubal trade "makes sense only if the Tigers obtain multiple players seen as future All-Stars.” Morosi brought up the haul the Nationals got from the Padres for Juan Soto back in 2022 as a comparison.

The Yankees are also exploring less expensive starting pitching targets, with Nightengale reporting that both the Yanks and Red Sox have had talks with the Cubs about Jameson Taillon. The 32-year-old, who owns a sparkling 3.10 ERA over 93 innings in 2024, pitched for the Yankees for two years before signing a four-year, $68 million deal with the Cubs after the 2022 campaign.

The rotation didn’t look like it was going to be a major area of need for the Yankees at this year’s Trade Deadline, but it has become one over the past six weeks. Yankees starting pitchers had the second-best ERA (2.79) in MLB through June 12, but they’ve posted MLB’s worst ERA (6.02) since.

July 11: Yankees in the mix for Jazz Chisholm Jr.?
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees have had discussions about acquiring center fielder from the Marlins. Miami entered play on Thursday with a 32-60 record, and is heavily expected to be deadline sellers, something it already got a head-start on by sending Luis Arraez to the Padres in May.

As for where Chisholm would fit in the Yankees lineup, Heyman reported that it would likely come in the infield, given that New York possesses a star-studded outfield of Alex Verdugo-Aaron Judge-Juan Soto, while the team's infield has no players with at least a .690 OPS entering Thursday (min. 100 plate appearances). This should be no problem for Chisholm, given that he spent his first three MLB seasons as a second baseman, including his lone All-Star season in 2022.

In addition to the Yankees, Heyman reported that the AL West-leading Mariners are another possible landing spot for Chisholm.