The Yankees are far from matching the kind of production they’ve set as their historical standard, but manager Aaron Boone’s much-maligned unit isn’t exactly dead in the water: they’re five games over .500 and still a very reasonable 4.5 games out of the second wild card spot. Most teams in their spot would be looking for additions to make a playoff push. The Yankees, of course, have no plans of fading into the background, and they’re surely set to make a splash or two here in the final week before the trade deadline.
Trevor Story and Starling Marte continue to be two of the most talked-about names on the market, and both Story and Marte have been connected to the Yanks in recent weeks. They’ve also checked in on Max Kepler, though the Twins’ asking price is said to be “exorbitant,” per Brendan Kuty of NJ.com.
Consider Story or Marte the more likely targets, then, though they’ll face plenty of competition for either player. Both players are, however, likely to move before the deadline. The hangup will be on finding the right match of prospects to send to Colorado and Miami, respectively.
Speculatively speaking, Story would appear the more impactful addition, given how much his glove could improve the Yankees’ defense – and how much he would affect the other pieces of the roster. Sliding Gleyber Torres to second and DJ LeMahieu to first would put all the pieces in the right places, though Luke Voit would be in a position to either move to the bench or push Giancarlo Stanton to the outfield, where the Yankees are hesitant to play him. Still, there aren’t as many teams as it might seem with a hole at shortstop, and some of those teams with obvious needs to upgrade (i.e. the A’s) have been bearish on pursuing one.
Further, ESPN’s David Schoenfield suggests they might be on the lookout for bullpen help. That might be a little offputting to hear at first, as their bullpen ranks third by fWAR this season, but there’s a lot of volume built into that metric. They rank eighth overall with a 3.67 bullpen ERA. The concern, more specifically, is their recent performance. The Yanks’ pen ranks 21st with a 5.19 ERA in July. That’s not necessarily enough to cause full-on panic, but there’s always room for another arm in the bullpen.
Yankees angling for Kepler. shooting for the stars perhaps.
Kepler or Bryant
Why would they want Kepler over Bryant? Kepler is LH but Bryant is just a better hitter.
Both have their strengths. Bryant would be the better player because Boone can put him all over the field and he will play well. The Yankees definitely need a LH bat though. This team isn’t championship caliper though unless Kluber and Severino come back healthy and pitching like TOR candidates. That’s a lot to hope for. Yanks need to put on this season. Trade Green and possibly Chapman for prospects. If Bryant has a reasonable ask for a contract in the off-season sign him and hope for better health next year. They should be able to get Scherzer, Verlander, Greinke, or Morton on a short contract to lead the rotation with Cole as well.
Controll. Kepler has two years plus an option on a very team friendly contract. Bryant would be a pure rental. Yankees are probably not prospect rich enough to get either but most certainly not enough to get Kepler (as strange as that sounds)
For one Kepler would be controlled for 3 more years, and CHEAP!!!Two he is a left handed bat and excellent fielder who would club 40 homers a year in that stadium. He has been heating up after various injuries this season, and would be an excellent, long term fit in NY. That is why he’ll cost quite a bit.
LOL. He would club 40 homers a year at the stadium ??. He once hit 36 homers and has not come close since….20 was the next highest but for some reason he will hit 40…..He has a .230 batting avg (which would be high for the Yankees)….and an op% of ..318 !!
If MLB would award teams games for rumors, the Yankees would be in the WS each year……playing against the Mets.
Refsnyder undisputed World Series MVP
HE BEAT OUT SWIHART?????????????
And the cubs would be right behind them. It’d be like the Blackhawks and LA Kings alternating winning the Stanley Cup. Even though they should be playing each other in the finals.
I dunno, TOR might give them a good series.
TOR definitley if we’re talking about off-season rumors as well. That team was connected to just about every free agent this past fall/winter.
That’s because writers know if you put Yankees in the title of an article you not only get Yankee fans to provide clicks you get the millions of Yankee haters to click as well.
Take chapman out of those numbers and they have the best bullpen
Yankees biggest disappointment in MLB. Yankees need to realize that and get started on building a better team next year.
Mate the twins exist
Yankee’s need to do a full rebuild! Farm system is trash! Roster has holes everywhere! A hot mess right now!
Very Barry = Very not smart.
Barry The Exaggerator fools another one…
Cashman needs to go.
Roster doesn’t have many holes at all. They just have too many injuries.
Just a Yankee front office smoke screen. They do it every year. When all is said and done the Yankees will say there was no deal to be made. The only thing that matters is Hal’s beans.
At times, the Yanks haven’t done enough in-season adding with this core. But we’ve certainly seen a few deals.
I think when we were in a good position for the playoffs, Hal was reluctant to take on more payroll. This nonsense with the CBT is just a way to increase profits. Yanks paid the tax every year until ’17.
Here’s the thing though. Hal loves that end of year playoff windfall. A postseason series is worth about $20MM.
& that is: Straight Profit.
Obviously, this club more than likely needs help if they are going to be playing in October. No way Hal doesn’t see that. That’s why I think we’ll see the Yanks make multiple additions this deadline.
It will definitely provide some insight into the front offices’ fiscal strategy/goals.
I don’t see it. I can see them overpaying in prospects, so the other teams absorbs all the payroll. But, if the Yankees bust thru the payroll cap, after four months of floundering under it, it would be insane.
I don’t think Yankee fans appreciate the penalties associated with going over the cap(s). It pretty much cuts the franchise out of choice draft positions and limits international signings.
Relatively new owners of the Mets and Padres think they can beat the system. Wealthy, generous, veteran owners of the Giants and Red Sox understand the realities and turned their Baseball Ops over to young executives that stay below the cap(s) knowing the penalties (depending on the severity) can decimate a franchise for almost a decade at least. And should owners such as those of the Mets and Padres ignore the cap(s) anyway, the rest of the owners will meet and impose even harsher penalties.
Keep in mind that when one buys a franchise they’re not an independent business operating in a market. Rather they’re partners with the other franchise owners. So the majority of the owners can meet and change the business rules anytime they want. 25 ownership groups are not going to give up their right to compete because 5 ownership groups are going to bully them by using their personal financial resources.
So wrong.
Again, @Samuel.
The one fan base you can be assured of understanding the various CBT penalties is the Yankees. We actually – ya know – go over the differing tiers regularly.
At the first two levels it’s “merely” a simple fine. Yanks as a twice repeat offender are taxed at 50% on levels one & two.
So.
Yanks about $4MM below the initial threshold. If they were to add 10 mil at the deadline they would incur a fine of about 3 mil. I don’t want to appear cavalier about 3 million bucks. But it *is* nothing more than a fine.
Hope this helps, @samual.
Gee golly, thanks for straightening me out.
So why do you and so many Yankee fans come on here constantly and complain that Hal won’t go over the cap? Why do you people constantly make trade proposals in which the Yankees give up young, cheap garbage for expensive veteran players? Constantly speculate what expensive free agents the Yankees should sign?
Show me a well thought out post on what the Yankees can do to improve their team within the salary cap….and no, trading Stanton to the Indians for Bieber and Britton back to the Orioles for Mullins or Andujar and Frazier for Tatis, Jr will not work.
@samuel
Here’s a well thought out post, STFU! Unlike Ducky I have no patience for maroons like you who fancy themselves as some sort of intellectual baseball guru when in reality your arguments are almost always complete gibberish & nonsense. The fact is real Yankee fans fully appreciate the penalties associated with going over the cap(s), the point you seem unwilling or unable to grasp is we don’t care, never have & never will. We’re the New York Yankees, the most revered & prestigious team in all of sports. Put that in your juice box & suck it.
Me gibberish?
Yankee fans understand reality?
Yankees are “the most revered & prestigious team in all of sports”?
–
1. The team hasn’t been to the WS in 12 years.
2. The team can’t play baseball.
3. The teams payroll is up against the cap.
4.. The roster is full of one-dimensional overpaid players that they can’t move to other teams.
5, Even your broadcasters have been on there talking about the bad situation with the team. The YES network is so desperate that they keep showing clips of David Cone’s perfect game and the Yankees celebrating WS wins from 20 or so years ago. That situation reminds me of the Cardinals TV broadcaster that has to bring up the word “traditional” 5 times an inning because that team can’t play baseball and the only thing traditional about them is their uniforms.
6. I know exactly what I’m talking about, and I live in reality.
7. I’m not a “Yankee Hater”. I loved the Jeter/Torre/Girardi teams. They played excellent, smart, clutch baseball.
You and others have to be delusional to compare these recent teams to them and accept the way they operate and off the field. You and Hal can continue to live in a fantasy world or work to change reality.
So basically you avoided his question and just insulted the man with your gibberish and nonsense. Typical Yankees fan.
Well, to be fair it was gibberish, @samual.
Your original assertion was that Yankee fans don’t “appreciate the penalties for going over the caps(s).”
1.) There is no salary cap in baseball.
2.) All your stuff about “draft position & international signings” is completely wrong. Which I showed.
3.) As a fan base, the Yanks will be well versed in the CBT because – unlike whatever scrubass team you root for – this is actually *relevant* to the NYY.
But.
Rather than acknowledging that was an erroneous premise, you then punt the conversation into outer space with…well, whatever all that was in your response back to me.
You can talk some baseball here. Or you can choose to just insult people instead. Don’t see how you can do both, but best of luck in your endeavor.
Again: I hope you find this helpful.
Ducky;
You’re so lost, it’s pathetic.
It’s YOU that picks personal fights with anyone that doesn’t agree with your Yankee excuses. It’s you that insults other posters.
I have a long post explaining the Yankees situation. A situation I told you was going to happen in Spring Training. A situation that John Sterling addressed the other day and that he is (politely) fed up with.
You crack me up, @samual.
You *still* haven’t addressed your original point. & – just be real here. That was nothing more than an erroneous & unfounded take with the sole intent of insulting me & my fellow Yankee fans, that I politely disabused you of.
Yet I’m the troll.
Fantastic stuff, bro.
The Yankees will sign nobody! Get rid of Cashman and rebuild the roster. You haven’t won since 2009. Get the message !
What would it take to get Aaron Judge? I’m asking as a Giants fan.
You guys really going to pay him $300 million dollars? On top of your future payrolls?
@Central Valley no way the Giants Gut the farm for Judge.
Giants don’t want Judge. Pushing 30, a body that won’t age well as he gets older., will want $250+ million and will be a DH in a few years.
Joey Bart and Yastrzemski for Judge and Sanchez. Only if the NL gets tbe DH next year.
You guys really going to pay him $300 million dollars?
===================================================
Judge is not going to get remotely close to $300M. He’ll be roughly 31 when his next contract starts, and misses at least 25% of the season every year. $100M/4 would be generous.
You think any team would give Judge $300 million? That would be a good way for a GM to lose their job.
I am hearing SS prospect Anthony Volpe has been untouchable
@Y2KAK- where are you hearing that? It’s not true. SS Oswald Peraza has been considered untouchable in trade talks. Anthony Volpe is a SS that the Yankees would probably offer in a package for Max Kepler or Joey Gallo. I do think the Yankees would rather part with SS Josh Smith instead of Volpe though.
I’m not a Yankees fan. But, in one of my fantasy leagues. I have the Yankees farm team. So, I read all the info I can on their prospects. I can’t remember where I read it. But, I read the same thing. Yankees prefer Volpe over Peraza. Obviously, its just some Yankees insider’s opinion. But, I did read it just the other day.
@Kenlyo- that might be true but Peraza is ranked higher then Volpe though. And Peraza is closer to the majors. One scout thinks Volpe will be a star eventually, but playing at 2nd base. Another scout is really high on Josh Smith who thinks he will be better then Jasson Dominguez. Lol. We’ll see. My guess it will be Josh Smith who will be traded among the 3 shortstops.
I’m a LSU fan. So, I watched quite a bit of Smith in college. Kid can absolutely rake. Wouldn’t surprise me if he ended up being the best out of the 3 of them. Like you said. Peraza is ranked the highest. So, they should be able to get the most back for him. I personally don’t think the Yankees should trade any of them. They shouldn’t be buying at the deadline. They should try to sell off a couple of Rp’s and reset for next season.
@kenlyo- you definitely have a point there about Josh Smith. He actually might end up being the best of the 3. The Yankees will probably end up trading the best one. Lol. There is a piece of me that wants to keep all 3. As far as pitchers, I have a hard time believing the Yankees will trade Deivi or Schmidty. I wouldn’t be shocked if Luis Gil(a former Twin) prospect is traded back to Minnesota in a package for Max Kepler though. Thinking Gil, Kevin Alcantara and either Frazier or Andujar gets a trade done with the Twins.
Whoever the Yanks are targeting I bet they can get them for Clint Frazier and Andujar, right?
Lol. Vast, overrated mediocrity. By sheer luck one of these years one would think the bell would ring. Kind of fun to watch, though.
The Yankees can’t be taken seriously,
They are truly delusional if they believe that a few roster additions will help this team.
If they do add players it will further deplete their farm system in the trades to aquire
A reality check I suppose and a few lost series to the Sox and Rays will make them realize that they need to be sellers.
Chapman, Green Britton to start.
Can’t be hoping someone is going to take on the behemoth contracts.
Excellent point.
The Yankees do play the Sox and Rays before the trade deadline. Maybe they’ll wake up to reality.
Problem with Chapman is his curveball is no longer devastating since the crackdown on the sticky stuff. And both he and Britton – who has had problems recently as well – are still due a lot of money this year which makes it difficult if contenders needing relief help are near the cap. That limits their markets some. Green might be a better possibility.
Almost all contenders need at least one more bullpen arm, some need more. The Yankees did realize their situation a number of years ago and moved Andrew Miller.
The bigger issues are Cashman and Boone. Steinbrenner would do well to bring in a younger FO guy to run Baseball Ops. Stealing someone like Chris Antonetti or Mike Chernoff from the Indians and giving them some money to work with might be as successful as when the Dodgers stole Andrew Friedman from the Rays.
Green doesn’t have a huge contract. The problem is that Boone can’t manage a pitching staff.
Actually, Boone can’t manage. Period.
I think he might even resign after the season. Heart condition and I think he realizes he’s not cut out for managing.
He won’t have to resign, his contract ends after this season
Every team feels that way about it’s manager
I think they better wait until the end of the week to decide.
They never want to trade their prospects which never pans out. Year after year they miss out on big trades protecting a farm system that’s never developed.. the need to rebuild their rebuild
@Yankees17 so very true if only they originally given up Andujar and Frazier for Cole the Yankees probably get a WS
Exactly. They protect a farm system that’s not farmed
Yankees lack any urgency. Cubs gave up Gleyber for a WS. Yankees worry about building to win several. Yankees need to do whatever it takes to win one. Getting Stanton after Ohtani rejected them HUGE mistake. Time to overhaul the entire front office and scouts. I can’t even remember besides Pettite the last home grown difference maker in the rotation. Yankees window with the former Baby Bombers has closed and it’s locked.
Starling Marte for Yoendrys Gomez, Josh Breaux, and Trevor Hauver, and potentially Ken Waldichuk…maybe they throw in a bullpen arm with more than a year of control, like Bleier, or Floro, or 1 of their “backend” rental relievers, like Garcia or Bass, and grab another lower level pitching prospect…
All of those guys arent close to the big leagues right now, with the exception of Waldichuk having had 6 starts in AA. Hauver doesnt even really have a defensive position, though I liked him going into the draft last year b/c he can hit. Breaux honestly is also a pretty high variance prospect, so maybe a better combination of guys than this would make more sense
That being said, the Marlins never get value in trades, and will likely get less than what they gave up for Marte, meaning less than that, even though he has been a star while he has been on the field, and is looking for a relatively low cost deal to sign
…also with all of that being said, I’ve heard the Marlins are focused on addressing CF and the Catcher spot for next season, either this week, or in the offseason. Not sure if thats related to what they do with Marte, especially considering that brings up the question of not just keeping Marte…
@formerlyz- again that is way to much of a haul for a rental. The Yankees will never do that. Starling Marte would have to be signed to a 2 or 3 year extension lst. Kevin Alcantara could be a piece moved in a Marte deal. But the Marlins wouldn’t be getting much more than that. I think Max Kepler or Joey Gallo is more of a need then Marte or Story. But obviously they will more expensive as far as prospects.
Well, that’s coming from someone who thinks Marte is just a “nice player.” I personally disagree, both with that assessment, and the idea that is some sort of massive haul, nor is it anything far outside of what we have seen move for others, even just a couple of days ago. Again, none of those pieces I mentioned are close to the big leagues
I don’t get the Twins. Why would Kepler be untouchable? Same with Berrios. Just weird.
Because of their team friendly contracts and controllable years. Kepler has 2 years left and a team option and I believe Berrios has 2 years remaining. So both are deemed untouchable or if at all traded will come with a high price tag.
Berrios has one year left and has already said he wants to reset the FA pitching market. And Kepler is not even that good.
@CalcetinesBlancos- Kepler and Berrios have a few years of control that’s why. The Yankees definitely could give up 3 prospects in their top 15 for Kepler, but I doubt Berrios will be traded.
@baines03- I definitely disagree with you. I think Max would really love that short porch in rightfield, sandwiched in the line-up between Judge and Stanton.
That’s all well and good that they want these guys. But what do they have to trade them for? If you want all stars, you better be ready to part with the top 3-4 guys in your system. I’m not even sure if the NYY have the prospects.