Yankees trade deadline takeaways: Relief is on the way, statement of intent, more versatility

New York Times

4 days ago

The New York Yankees are undeniably better than they were a week ago. On paper, that is. General manager Brian Cashman and his front office fired off nine trades between Friday and Thursday's trade deadline, addressing issues throughout a roster that needed help in all areas if the Yankees are to return to the World Series for the second straight season.
Advertisement
Whether they can regain ground in the American League East, or at least maintain their lead in the wild-card race, will depend largely on how soon star Aaron Judge can recover from a right flexor tendon strain and return to being the best hitter in baseball and playing right field full time.
But much of everything else will rest on whether the newcomers step up: David Bednar, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird must help lock down the bullpen in the middle and late innings; third basemen Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario and outfielder Austin Slater have to provide pop at the bottom of the order.
The new relievers should prove to be the Yankees' most consequential additions.
Their relief unit, as a whole, has been bad over the past month-plus. Since June 13, the Yankees have gone 14-27 — the sixth-worst mark in the majors. During that span, their bullpen had a 4.98 ERA, which ranked 25th in baseball.
Now, manager Aaron Boone will be able to turn to Bednar (2.37 ERA, 17 saves) and Doval (3.09 ERA, 15 saves) alongside Devin Williams and Luke Weaver — likely forming a closer by committee rather than committing to any one of them. Boone will also be able to use Bird to put out fires. Though Bird posted a 4.73 ERA in 45 games, he had a 3.45 FIP and he fanned 10.5 batters per nine innings. He also impressed several Yankees hitters when he faced them with the Colorado Rockies in May.
And forget about the trade deadline for a moment. Fernando Cruz (oblique strain) and Mark Leiter Jr. (leg fracture) are expected to return from the injured list in the coming weeks. If both can get healthy, the Yankees' relief corps should go from a weakness to a major strength. — Kuty
Kirschner's key takeaway: The Yankees are a much more complete team than they were yesterday. It was a home run of a deadline for Cashman and his front office.
Advertisement
Sure, the Yankees could have used another starting pitcher, but Boone now has several weapons in his bullpen that he can deploy at any moment. The bullpen went from being one of the weakest parts of their team to arguably its biggest strength. Doval, Bednar, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver give Boone four legitimate options to close games on any given night. The Yankees have added swing-and-miss and velocity, two key elements their bullpen was missing over the past several months.
The moves the Yankees made could certainly be enough to get them back to the World Series.
Here's a review of the Yankees' notable trades before the deadline.
Yankees get: Camilo Doval, RHP
Giants get: Trystan Vrieling, RHP; Jesus Rodriguez, C; Parks Harbor, 1B
Doval was the Yankees' final major move before the deadline. He'll be another late-inning option. In 47 games, he had a 3.09 ERA and fanned 9.6 batters per nine innings. He led the league in saves with 39 in 2023. He won't be a free agent until after the 2027 season.
Yankees get: Jake Bird, RHP
Rockies get: Roc Riggio, 2B; Ben Shields, LHP
The Yankees went into Thursday hoping to land at least two relievers for their reeling bullpen. Cashman did even more. Bird is another high-strikeout, high-ground ball middle reliever. Fans may scoff at Bird's 4.73 ERA, but his peripherals suggest he's a much better pitcher than that. He has the 15th-largest differential between his ERA and FIP among all relievers. He should make a difference in the bullpen.
Riggio was the headliner for the Rockies. He's been one of the biggest breakout performers in the minors for the Yankees, posting a 170 wRC+ across High A and Double A. But he did not have a positional future in New York.
Yankees get: David Bednar, RHP
Pirates get: Rafael Flores, C; Edgleen Perez, C; Brian Sanchez, OF
Advertisement
Bednar, 30, is having a nice season with a 2.37 ERA and 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings — just what the Yankees needed at the back of their bullpen. He is owed the remainder of his $5.9 million salary for this year, and he won't be a free agent until after next season. That's big, considering Luke Weaver and Devin Williams' contracts expire after this year.
Flores and Perez each were ranked among the Yankees' top 20 prospects to start the season. Flores showed power at Double A (16 homers), and Perez hasn't played above High A.
Yankees get: Austin Slater, UTIL
White Sox get: Gage Ziehl, RHP
Takeaway: The Yankees traded for Slater on Wednesday afternoon, and plan to use him as part of their new approach of trying to capitalize on platoon advantages. Slater hits left-handers well — something that can't be said for Jasson Domínguez and Trent Grisham. Slater had an .860 OPS against lefties this season when the Yankees acquired him. He can play all three outfield spots, though manager Aaron Boone said it's more likely that he'd stick to the corners. Slater will be a free agent after this season.
Ziehl, meanwhile, wasn't close to contributing in the Bronx anytime soon. The 22-year-old, whom the Yankees drafted in the fourth round in 2024, made 14 starts this season at High-A Tampa, going 4-4 with a 4.96 ERA and 7.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
Yankees get: Amed Rosario, UTIL
Nationals get: Clayton Beeter, RHP; Browm Martinez, OF
Takeaway: Think of the Ryan McMahon trade as a two-part move. McMahon has a .684 OPS against left-handers in his career. Enter Rosario. When the Yankees are facing a lefty, Rosario could play third base in place of McMahon. Rosario has a career .800 OPS against left-handers. In addition to manning third, Rosario can play second, shortstop and left field. He's a better bench option for Boone than Oswald Peraza.
Advertisement
From the Nationals' perspective, they're taking a chance on Beeter, who has struggled with his command this season. He has elite strikeout stuff, but the inability to locate his pitches made the Yankees feel comfortable about moving him for a rental in Rosario.
Yankees get: Ryan McMahon, 3B
Rockies get: Griffin Herring, LHP; Josh Grosz, RHP
Takeaway: The Yankees desperately needed a third baseman. Peraza and Jorbit Vivas were not the answers in the interim nor the long term. In McMahon, the Yankees received one of the best defensive third basemen in the sport. Since his debut in 2017, McMahon ranks fourth among all third basemen in Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average. McMahon, who's under contract through 2027, also possesses offensive upside with his ability to make loud contact. The Yankees' hitting department will try to get McMahon to pull the ball in the air more often than he did with Colorado, to take advantage of Yankee Stadium's home run-friendly right-field fence.
Parting with Herring, the main part of the Rockies' return, shouldn't be overlooked. Yankees officials were high on his potential, but the need for a third baseman outweighed waiting on Herring to make the majors in a few years.
(Photo of David Bednar: David Berding / Getty Images)