Relievers the Yankees Should Target as the Deadline Nears

The Augst 3 trade deadline is days away, and the New York Yankees are expected to be as active as always. The team has been marred by injuries to its big stars, yet has kept itself in reach of a division title and potentially the top seed in the American League.

Aaron Judge (stress rib fracture), Giancarlo Stanton (right calf strain), and now Cody Bellinger (left hamstring strain) are injured, but the club expects them all to be back before the regular season ends.

Timely hitting and the pitching staff have kept the team in contention. Max Fried recently returned from the IL after two months away due to an elbow bone bruise; he struck out seven over five innings in his first start back last week.

This also marks the first time Fried and Gerrit Cole have been active at the same time as teammates. Cole returned in late May after missing all of last season due to Tommy John surgery. Fellow starter Cam Schlittler is one of the favorites for the AL Cy Young Award, as he leads the AL in ERA.

The team also expects Carlos Rodón to return soon after missing about a month with left elbow inflammation, as well as Clarke Schmidt, who is also returning from Tommy John. Schmidt has been a solid mid-rotation starter in the past, sporting a 3.32 ERA last year before his last start on July 3, 2025.

The combination of Fried, Cole, Schlittler, and Rodón is arguably one of the best rotations you could have going into the postseason. If the offense adds a deadline piece or two at catcher and/or the middle infield and returns to its early-season form when everyone is healthy, the team is set up very well for another run to the World Series, with the rest of the AL being relatively weak.

Another area where the team has succeeded is the bullpen. The Yankees’ 3.09 reliever ERA ranks second in the majors, and their bullpen hosts some solid arms.

Closer David Bednar is currently fourth in the AL with 22 saves. He, Fernando Cruz, Brent Headrick, and Paul Blackburn all have ERAs under 2.75 and have all given up fewer than 15 earned runs on the year.

Yet, the team’s bullpen has been known to pucker out as the season reaches its final stages. The Yankees were hurt by weak bullpen performances in the second half of 2021, 2022, and last season. To prevent this, they may be active on the always-active bullpen trade market as the deadline nears.

To truly cement the bullpen as one that can hold up in the postseason, they should add at least one or two arms to add depth behind the guys I mentioned earlier. Here are some relievers the team could go after at the deadline to solidify the back end of their ‘pen.

Stats updated prior to games on July 29.

Antonio Senzatela – Colorado Rockies

After he spent his first nine seasons as a starter with moderate success, the Rockies converted Senzatela into a reliever this season, and he has found success even on a team with one of the lowest records in the majors. The velocity on his fastball has ticked up to 97-98 mph after averaging around 93-94 as a starter. He also added a cutter to his arsenal, which averages around 91 mph.

In addition, Senzatela has increased his strikeout rate to 20.8%, up from 11.8% last year. In 33 games, he has pitched 51.2 innings this season, sporting a 3.66 ERA and averaging 7.84 strikeouts per nine innings.

His 45 punchouts are more than half the 73 strikeouts he had as a starter all of last year. Senzatela has also only given up four home runs all year, although he has given up 21 earned runs.

As a former starter, he can give the Yankees length or at least two solid innings in a big spot. Converted starters are becoming more prevalent throughout the league as relievers, and this has revived the careers of guys who looked like they were on the way out of the majors.

Senzatela would be great to pair alongside Blackburn, also an ex-starter, who already plays a similar role in the ‘pen and has similar numbers. He has thrown 57.0 innings with a 1.89 ERA and has only given up 39 hits on the year. Having two long-man types would give Yankees manager Aaron Boone the valuable asset of choice. Down the stretch is when teams need to prioritize rest for their arms.

The Yankees have been known to poach players from the Rockies at the deadline and in the offseason. Guys like DJ LeMahieu, Mike Tauchman, Adam Ottavino, and recently Ryan McMahon and Angel Chivilli also came from the Mile High State to the Empire State in past seasons.

Senzatela is also a free agent at the season’s end, and with his newfound success in relief adding at least a few more years to his career, it would benefit Colorado to receive something in return before he leaves.

A.J. Minter and/or Luke Weaver – New York Mets

Now it would take some convincing for Queens to sell to the Bronx at any point regardless of circumstances, but the Mets might be poised to have a deadline firesale, the likes of which we haven’t seen since, well, last year’s Twins.

In the midst of one of their most disappointing seasons to date, the Mets do have a lot of trade capital that could be used to get the rebuild started once again. And while rumors that they would trade someone like Francisco Lindor are probably unfounded, I think Weaver and Minter are two sneakily valuable pieces that would each earn a nice prospect in return from a team like the Yankees with a deep farm system.

Weaver already has experience in pinstripes for the 2.5 seasons he spent as a Yankee after being traded from the Mariners in 2023. He was a crucial part of the team’s 2024 pennant run, giving up only three earned runs and seven hits over 15.1 innings in 12 appearances.

Minter also has similar postseason experience from his time in Atlanta, helping the Braves win the Fall Classic in 2021. Over five seasons in which the Braves made the playoffs, Minter had a 2.88 ERA in 20 appearances, giving up only 20 hits in his postseason career and striking out 36 batters, 18 of which came in the championship run.

Both have been bright spots on a Mets staff that has been pretty dismal this year. Weaver has a 1.93 ERA over 42 innings pitched, striking out 43 and giving up only nine earned runs.

His Baseball Savant pitch type run values this year are all at least in the 81st percentile, with his offspeed run value in the 95th percentile. His fastball tops out at 95 mph while his changeup sits at 88 mph, a nice change of speed that messes with a hitter’s timing.

Minter’s ERA sits at 2.45 over a little less playing time (22 innings pitched), but he has similarly only given up six earned runs.

Minter did miss a chunk of the early season while recovering from left lat surgery, which is where the innings difference between the two originates. His pitch arsenal includes a slow cutter that cuts into right-handed batters, a fastball that maxes at 93 mph, and a changeup. He would be a solid southpaw addition to a team that only really has one reliable lefty reliever (Headrick).

Realistically, only one of these guys would switch boroughs in a trade, but both would have a significant impact, so it will most likely come down to whatever trade package is more appealing for Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.

Both are guys that would be great as a sixth- or seventh-inning pitcher, and they both have experience closing as well if need be.

Adrian Morejon – San Diego Padres

The Yankees are almost certain to inquire about Friars closer Mason Miller, arguably the best reliever in baseball. But so is every team in contention that needs a lockdown closer. With a fastball that tops out at 101 and a slider with a 10-inch break, Miller would almost certainly be an immediate star in the Bronx,

The Padres currently sit 1.5 games back of the final National League Wild Card spot, and A. J. Preller may decide that he wants to try for a playoff run as their offense looks like it is getting back on track after a slow first half.

So, in case the Padres are unwilling to move Miller, Adrian Morejon sits as a solid second option that the team may be more willing to hear offers on regardless of whether they sell or not.

The Cuban-born Morejon has been a staple in the San Diego bullpen for his eight seasons in the majors. He had an All-Star season last year with a 2.08 ERA, giving up only two homers and 17 earned runs in 73.2 innings. He has continued to perform well this year, holding a 3.14 ERA in 57.1 innings, having given up only three home runs.

His xSLG and xwOBA are both within the top 10% of the league, and his chase, whiff, barrel, and groundball rates are all within the 95th percentile.

His arsenal includes a 99 mph sinker that he uses for almost half of the pitches he throws. His changeup hits a whopping 92 mph with 11.3 inches of tail alongside a slider that approaches 90 mph. Like Miller, his four-seam also nears triple digits, though he only uses it for 14% of his pitches.

For the Yankees, Morejon would be great as an eighth-inning set-up man behind Bednar, which could end up being a lethal combination. He would also take tough spots away from a guy like Camilo Doval, who has been shaky so far in his Yankees career. Morejon is also someone the Yankees could look to re-sign this offseason.

More likely than not, I think the Yankees would only target one or two of the four relievers I mentioned. They also need to focus on getting a catcher (Hunter Goodman is a great option), middle infield help (CJ Abrams would be the dream), and, with Bellinger’s injury, possibly an outfield bat as well (Lane Thomas fits the bill).

While the Yankees’ current bullpen is very good, an addition or two would go a long way to locking it down as one of the best in the league. A trade would be more about adding depth than anything else, and it would help the staff get out jams late in games before giving way to Bednar to shut the door.

I think the team will right its ship again once the offense becomes healthy and the starting rotation keeps its stride, leaving them with a very good chance to make a far run in October.