The New York Yankees often grab several headlines once MLB trade deadline season rolls around.
Well, with 11 days until the August 3rd deadline, New York figures to be very active in the transaction market.
The Yanks’ biggest needs remain the same: a backup catcher and much-needed bullpen support. Every contending team is going to be scouring the external market for bullpen help, as it’s almost a necessity for a deep playoff run.
However, Austin Wells’ struggles have reached a point this season that Brian Cashman is backed into a corner, and if the Yankees don’t go out and acquire another catcher, there’s certainly going to be a lot of criticism and outrage amongst the New York faithful. While they may not be able to land Ryan Jeffers or Hunter Goodman, the Athletics have a backup catcher in Jonah Heim that could be worth trading for, and that may come at the expense of outfielder Jasson Dominguez, who is thought to be a top trade chip for the Yankees over the next two weeks.
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Should the Yankees Consider Trading for Jonah Heim?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 22: Jasson Dominguez #24 of the New York Yankees (R) celebrates his seventh inning run against the Pittsburgh Pirates with teammate Ryan McMahon #19 in game two of the doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on July 22, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees absolutely need to consider trading for Jonah Heim, and they could offload Jasson Dominguez in the process.
A recent report indicated that Dominguez could be on the trading block, and the truth is, his value has plummeted given his 2026 stats. Over 155 at-bats this season, Dominguez is batting .232 with five home runs, 12 RBI, and an OPS+ of 83. He’s been a part of the Yankees outfielder fold for the last few months (due to Judge’s injury), but his bWAR of 0.4 signals that he’s just not an incredibly valuable player.
In this trade proposal, the Athletics and Yankees could link up for a player-swap deal that offloads Jasson Dominguez to the A’s in exchange for Jonah Heim.
The A’s picked up Jonah Heim in a mid-season trade with the Braves, and he’s turned his season around.
He’s batting .238 with nine home runs, 42 RBI, and 44 hits across 185 at-bats, which are actually pretty good marks for a catcher, and again, even those numbers would be an upgrade from Wells.
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Other Yankees’ Trade Deadline Notes
GettySACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 01: Jonah Heim #15 of the Athletics hits an RBI single scoring Colby Thomas against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the bottom of the fifth inning at Sutter Health Park on July 01, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
On top of a catcher and bullpen help, the Yankees might inquire about an infielder to help balance things out on the left side.
Anthony Volpe, of course, has always carried trade speculation, but the time might seriously be now to trade him, because he’s already barely in the lineup.
While catcher and relief help remain the priority, there’s no telling what the Yankees front office may do, and there’s more than enough evidence to suggest that New York needs an upgrade at several positions if they want to win the World Series this year.
New York Yankees Trade Proposal Swaps Jasson Dominguez for Athletics Catcher