The New York Yankees are still the favorite to win the American League, but they need at least one more bat to put them over the top.
The Yankees are floundering without stars Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, and they are being urged to acquire a player who can help their downtrodden offense ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
The Yankees have lost 10 of 12 and have just 36 runs scored in that span. They have fallen to four games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League East lead after New York’s 6-4 loss at Tropicana Field on Tuesday.
The Yankees Need to Acquire Offense Before the Trade Deadline
The Yankees’ starting pitching is arguably the best in baseball, and the group of Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Will Warren, Ryan Weathers and Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, when they return, is ultra-formidable.
So even though they are known as the Bronx Bombers, the Yanks’ offense has left something to be desired.
“In the three weeks since we last did this exercise, the Yankees have collectively hit below .200 while producing the worst wRC+ in baseball,” Tim Britton of The Athletic wrote in its “Urgency Index.” “They’re supposed to be the AL favorites, but their offensive issues have become too glaring to ignore, and they can’t wait for Aaron Judge’s rib to heal before they fix it.”
Judge, the Yankees captain who has won three AL MVPs even though he’s only played in the World Series once, is not due back anytime soon. But the Yankees offense is wasting a great season from their starters — and has been their undoing in each of the past four seasons.
“Judge is going to be on the IL for several more weeks,” Britton wrote. “The Yankees have the lowest ERA in the American League, but their lineup has been inconsistent, and there are plenty of avenues they could explore in search of upgrades. Judge is 34, and the Yankees have gotten to the World Series with him only once.”
The Yankees Need an Upgrade at Catcher
Of course, the duo of Austin Wells and JC Escarra are falling short. The Yankees rank 28th in the majors in batting average among catchers (.175) and are dead last at wRC+ among catchers (43) — average is 100.
That is why the Yankees have been eyeing upgrades.
The name that has come up the most is Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins, a pending free agent at the end of this season. Still, the Yankees have surely not pushed for acquiring him since Jeffers’ hand injury has kept him out of action since May 18.
Still, Hunter Goodman of the Colorado Rockies has also been reported as a potential Yankees upgrade. He leads all catchers in home runs (27) and his 58 runs scored would rank second among New York players behind only All-Star Ben Rice.
The Yankees have been tied to other offensive players, like Luis Arraez and Matt Chapman of the San Francisco Giants.
But after Brian Cashman completely remade the team’s bullpen at the 2025 trade deadline, the Yankees general manager may consider overhauling their offense this year by making multiple offensive-minded deals.
Yankees Urged to Upgrade Offense Ahead of Upcoming Trade Deadline