Four Trade Targets Who Could Save the Yankees at the Deadline

It was not even a full month ago, and the Yankees were sitting atop the Major Leagues with a 50-22 record, looking poised to make a strong run in the postseason.

Even without Gerrit Cole, the Yankees starting rotation did not miss a beat, consistently churning out quality starts putting the team on position to win. Luis Gil emerged as a Rookie of the Year candidate, while Aaron Judge and Juan Soto each slugging their way into the MVP conversation.

Yankee’s General Manager Brian Cashman was receiving high praise for what looked to be his best roster construction in years. Cole was on his way back, the Yankees had the best duo in baseball, and all seemed backed in it’s natural place with the Yankees atop the baseball world.

Now, in what has been a complete 180, the Yankees have been the worst team in baseball for nearly a month. Their 7-18 record since June 13th is even worse than the Marlins, Rockies and Athletics, who have all managed to win nine games during that same span.

All of sudden the Yankees look like a team that is very vulnerable, and not nearly the juggernaut that could simply cruise into October.

Now the truth behind this team probably lies somewhere between the two teams we have seen thus far this year. They might not be quite nearly as dominant as the 50-22 squad, but they certainly aren’t 7-18 bad either.

What is apparent though is that this is a roster that needs some reinforcements.

Of course, injuries to players like Giancarlo Stanton, Jon Berti, and Nick Burdi have hurt the Yankees, but there are holes on this roster that injured players alone can’t fill.

With tons of uncertainty surrounding this lineup and pressure on Cashman to not waste the only guaranteed season of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge together, this team needs to make the right moves at the deadline.

Here are four players the Yankees should target who could help spark a second-half push.

Luis Rengifo – Los Angeles Angels

For Yankee fans, it has become routine to see only a couple guys in the lineup produce, while the rest seem to do nearly nothing at the plate. This season, we’re seeing Judge, Soto, and so far rookie Ben Rice, all having productive at-bats, while the rest of the lineup struggles.

D.J. LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres have been downright awful this season and Anthony Volpe has struggled severely following a hot start. With a dire need for help in the infield, the Yankees should be very interested in acquiring Luis Rengifo from the Angels.

Rengifo has battled some injuries this season but for someone who has been healthy for most of his career, he is worth that small risk. In today’s game, batting average and on base percentage don’t mean as much as they used to, but they sure do still count for something with Rengifo.

The 27-year-old is currently batting .315 with a .358 OBP in 251 at bats this season, something the Yankees very desperately need. In addition, he currently ranks in the top 7% of the league in strikeout percentage (13.4%).

Surrounding Judge and Soto with players that can get on base frequently can make all the difference for this team. It will make it that much harder for opposing managers and pitchers to avoid the two Yankee sluggers if there are other players in the lineup to be weary of.

Additionally, Rengifo is extremely versatile on the defensive side being able to play multiple positions and giving manager Aaron Boone more flexibility with his lineup.

Will Rengifo solve all of the Yankees offensive issues? Likely no, but he would drastically help this lineup that we saw greatly struggle heading into the All-Star break. As mentioned before, as players return from injury and if the Yankees acquire a bat like Rengifo, we could quickly see these holes in the infield begin to fill.

LHP Tanner Scott – Miami Marlins

In baseball, it’s a fact that you can never have enough relief pitching and we see that play out time and time again every season with pitchers getting hurt or just not playing well. The Yankees have been notorious for having extremely strong bullpens in the past, where if they got the the sixth or seventh inning with a lead, the game was essentially over.

2024 has been a different story for the Yankees bullpen, which hasn’t been awful, but also has not been nearly as dominant as we’ve seen in past years. With numerous injuries and a lack of consistency plaguing the bullpen, Miami’s Tanner Scott, who was recently named to his first All-Star Game, looks to be a perfect arm to add at the deadline.

The 29-year-old southpaw has had quite the season posting a 1.38 ERA in 38 games so far for Miami. Scott would be the exact type of reliever you’d want throwing at Yankee Stadium. What Scott does best is produce weak contact from the hitters, leading the league in average exit velocity (83.3 mph), as well as ranking in the top 10% in xBA (.188), Whiff % (32.2), and Hard Hit rate (29.2).

The dominant lefty looks to be the perfect addition to help prevent any scoring before the ball gets handed over to All-Star closer Clay Holmes in the ninth. Scott will certainly be a sought after arm at the deadline. But if the Yankees are serious about not only getting out of the rut they’re currently trapped in, but also making a run at the World Series, Scott should be at the top of their radar.

Garrett Crochet – Starting Pitcher

The same goes with starting pitching in the Major Leagues – you can truly never have enough. About a month ago, Yankee fans were constantly debating who would be sent to the bullpen when reigning Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole returned from injury. Fast forward to today and the Yankees starting rotation is in a much different position than a month ago.

Yankees starters have undoubtedly had the worst month of all the rotations in the league and the most drastic fall off in the league from one month to another. Gil, Rodon, and Stroman have all began to severely struggle following their great starts to 2024.

Additionally, Cole hasn’t looked like himself yet and Clarke Schmidt is still waiting to throw off a mound. What was just a few months ago an overpowering, crowded starting rotation, looks quite the opposite right now. That is why I wouldn’t be surprised if Cashman at least checks in on an electric starting arm like Garrett Crochet.

The White Sox ace has been unhittable for stretches this year, going from a converted reliever to an All-Star starting pitcher. Crochet is a strikeout machine, currently leading the league in K’s with 146 in 19 games started for Chicago.

The hard-throwing lefty is a dream come true for a general manager looking to add a potential superstar at the deadline. His Baseball Savant page shows just that.

Although it is probably the most unlikely move for the Yankees this deadline, this deal would certainly be the most exciting. The opportunity to add a flame-throwing lefty into this rotation could be something Cashman can’t pass up and who knows, maybe it could light a fire under the rest of the rotation.

Jazz Chisolm – Miami Marlins

Yesterday, the New York Post linked the Yankees to Miami Marlins star center fielder Jazz Chisolm. The report does not indicate the extent of their interest, but says they have discussed adding Chisolm and that he would likely be asked to play “mostly infield”.

Chisolm primarily played second base back in 2021 and 2022, where he graded out as a positive defender by both OAA (8) and DRS (7). Since moving out to center field last year, Chisolm graded out as a below-average defender based on DRS (-14), but OAA (4) has him closer to league average.

Still, there is no doubt that his best position is probably second base and the Yankees could slide him into the lineup to replace Gleyber Torres. If Torres starts to hit, Jazz could always play in the outfield with Judge and Soto.

If Brian Cashman wants to get really creative, why not try to fortify the bullpen and the lineup in the same trade?

In one trade the Marlins could land both Scott and Chisolm, which would probably come cheaper than trying to land Scott and Rengifo in two separate deals. The only problem is Chisolm is not nearly as good as Rengifo has been this year.

The 26-year-old is hitting .256/.325/.414, with 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases and a 106 wRC+. Rengifo is rocking a 126 wRC+, which is 20 percent better than Chisolm. His ability to play third is also a huge bonus, as Rengifo could spare either DJ LeMahieu or Torres.

With that said, Chisolm has more of a power stroke, which would be tailormade for their short-porch in right field. The Yankees have to weigh the cost and find the best fit, but getting an infielder to hedge against the struggling veterans they have will be crucial.

The Yankees can simply not afford to stay dormant at the deadline this season.

With only three months of Juan Soto guaranteed in a Yankee uniform, the time is now in The Bronx. Cashman should be able to acquire some valuable help without having to give up their top few prospects like Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones.

If Cashman is unable to provide a World Series and loses Soto in the offseason, he’ll definitely look back on this deadline as his seat gets hotter and hotter.