There might not be a contending team around baseball that needs more than the New York Yankees do during the trade deadline. After dominating at the start the season, the past few months have shown exactly why this team isn’t prepared to win a World Series, and it has only gotten worse.
Their lineup has struggled in similar ways in the past few years, the bullpen went from the best to the worst in baseball, and as a whole, they lack fundamentals. To say it’s been ugly would be an understatement, as their play, frankly, has been unacceptable.
The good news is that they landed a big bat in second baseman/center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. on Saturday for three minor leaguers. It’s a strong start, but there are still more moves left to be made with just three days to go until the deadline date.
Prior to acquiring Chisholm Jr., Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that New York’s No. 1 goal is landing a relief pitcher or two with swing-and-miss-stuff.
“The Yankees have a number of areas they can upgrade this week, and while adding an infielder will be a priority, acquiring another reliever or two – specifically pitchers with swing-and-miss stuff – figures to be the No. 1 goal.”
There are plenty of relievers on the market, and with the farm system to land nearly anyone who becomes available, there’s no excuse for the Yankees’ front office not to figure it out. At a minimum, there should be two bullpen arms added in the next week.
It’s one thing not to fix every hole, as that simply isn’t possible. With this being a buyers’ market due to the third Wild Card spot and the National League playoff picture as crowded as ever before, there will be more buyers than usual.
The trade deadline also makes things tough, as there isn’t as much movement as the offseason, obviously. However, the bullpen needs are clear, so something has to be done.
Their goal should be to do whatever they can, even if it’s improving on the margins in certain areas. They also need to show Juan Soto that they’re willing to do whatever it takes to win, as the superstar hits free agency at the end of the season and could be turned off by them not doing so.
