PHILADELPHIA — New York Yankees star Aaron Judge knows the deal. Yes, he’s the captain of the team, and he knows he has a responsibility to his teammates — all the way down to the last man on the roster — to set an example of how to lead. But he also understands that not everybody gets to stick around, and when upgrades can be made, someone has to go.
So, Judge had no problem speaking the truth after bashing two home runs in a 14-4 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Monday night. Less than 24 hours remained until the trade deadline at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
“The other teams are making moves,” Judge said. “Hopefully we start making moves, too. We’ll see.”
The Yankees stood pat Monday. They did the same Sunday. On Saturday, they turned heads when they flipped a trio of prospects to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Jazz Chisholm Jr., who hit two homers as well on Monday and figures to be the Yankees’ first option to bring a jolt to their otherwise moribund third base situation.
Sharing is caring. @j_chisholm3 🤝 @TheJudge44 pic.twitter.com/oagIFuivI4
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 30, 2024
But the Yankees are well aware of what’s happening around them.
Juan Soto said he’s expecting the Yankees to make moves. Nestor Cortes was well aware his name had been floated in trade rumors — and he said wanted to remain in pinstripes. Manager Aaron Boone said anything could happen.
But what will happen?
Here are three questions for the Yankees going into the final day of the trading season.
What’s the Yankees’ biggest priority?
The Yankees have already added Chisholm, who has aced his first impression with his new team. Chisholm became only the second player in franchise history (after Felipe Alou in 1971) to hit two home runs and steal one base in their first two games with the Yankees. He looked natural at third base on Monday, the first time he has ever played the position in professional baseball. Boone said he is comfortable with Chisholm at third because he is a “special athlete.”
However, it does feel like Chisholm is currently a player without a permanent position. Success, especially for a team with World Series aspirations, may not be sustainable if they continue to play two players (including Ben Rice at first base) who are still learning the corner infield spots. Chisholm began his MLB career as a second baseman with the Marlins before transitioning to center field in 2023. He said being back in the infield on Monday “felt great” and “that’s where I feel like I deserve to be.”
The Yankees could also use another bat and remain involved in trade talks with the Tampa Bay Rays about first baseman Yandy Díaz. He can play both first and third base, though he has graded extremely poorly at the latter position.
Pitching is another area of need for the Yankees. Entering Monday’s game, the Yankees’ 4.82 team ERA since June 1 ranked third-worst in MLB. Their starting pitching, in particular, has struggled. Only Oakland, Miami and Colorado have had worse-performing starting rotations than New York. Adding a front-line starting pitcher could help stabilize some of the issues the Yankees have faced over the past two months. Detroit Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty is expected to be traded before the deadline, and the Yankees could be in the mix for the rental starter.
They could also use additional bullpen arms. Caleb Ferguson should be replaced, Michael Tonkin has struggled recently after emerging as a go-to option, and Clay Holmes has not been effective over the past two months. It would be surprising if there weren’t relief additions before the deadline passes. Marlins closer Tanner Scott is the best reliever on the market, and the Yankees have interest in him.
Who’s on the hot seat?
Cortes has been a hot name in trade discussions. If the Yankees believe Cortes won’t be part of their postseason rotation, it makes sense to explore possible moves to upgrade the roster using him as the prime piece in a trade, especially given his value as he is under team control through 2025. If Cortes is traded, the Yankees would almost certainly need to add another starting pitcher to fill his spot on the staff.
Gleyber Torres will be a free agent at season’s end, and moving him could allow Chisholm to play his natural position. The downside of trading Torres would be that he has been effective offensively since May, despite his overall numbers being down this season. Since May 1, Torres has posted a 112 wRC+; would the Yankees want to lose that kind of offense without a clear replacement in mind?
Alternatively, if the Yankees wanted to move Chisholm back to the outfield, left field could be a possibility. Alex Verdugo has been one of MLB’s worst hitters since May 1. Like Torres, Verdugo will be a free agent at season’s end and could be included in any deal as a sweetener. The same applies to Trent Grisham, who has performed well but may lose playing time now that Giancarlo Stanton has returned and Aaron Judge is the everyday center fielder.
As previously mentioned, Ferguson’s spot in the bullpen should be replaced. The offseason trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers to acquire him hasn’t worked out, and there are no signs that he will become an effective reliever for the Yankees. Holmes’ role as closer could be in jeopardy, especially if the Yankees acquire Scott. No one in the bullpen, outside of Luke Weaver and Tommy Kahnle, should feel secure in their roles heading into Tuesday.
Will the Yankees make a splash?
Did the Yankees wait this long just to soak their feet in the shallow end of the pool?
Or are they about to scream cannonball and fling themselves into national headlines?
And what would that look like, anyway?
Big-game hunting would include targets such as San Francisco Giants ace Blake Snell and Chicago White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet on the pitching side. Offensively, Díaz would be a major addition — and open the possibility of the Yankees dealing Rice. It seems unlikely that the Toronto Blue Jays will deal first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — and it would be especially unlikely that they would flip him to the hated Yankees.
A league source told The Athletic that the Yankees almost certainly wouldn’t be in on Snell if the Giants didn’t eat a substantial portion of his big contract. Snell, who is due the remainder of his $15 million salary this year, could opt out after this season. But he also has a $30 million player option for 2025, though $15 million of that would be deferred until 2027.
All signs are pointing toward the Tigers not trading in-his-prime righty Tarik Skubal, and it’s unclear whether the Yankees have the young talent to trade to win a battle for him anyway.
(Photo of Jazz Chisholm Jr.: Eric Hartline / USA Today)
