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New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Yankees' potential for a World Series return could hinge on one key factor
ATLANTA — Maybe there's been too much focus on the New York Yankees desperately needing to acquire a third baseman at the trade deadline. Make no mistake: If the Yankees can add a third baseman, they should. Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas are not the answer at the position, and upgrading that spot would be a win. The offense has not been the issue for the club for nearly the entirety of the 2025 season, though. Saturday night's 12-9 win over the Atlanta Braves is a perfect example of what should be the club's most pressing need before the trade deadline passes at the end of the month. Advertisement Entering Saturday's game, the Yankees' 120 wRC+ was the best in baseball. They lead MLB in home runs, walk percentage, isolated power, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and wOBA. This offense is deadly enough to carry them to title No. 28. The Yankees were down 5-0 after four innings and facing another de facto bullpen game when starter Will Warren exited after 3 2/3 innings pitched. New York's offense then got on the board in the fifth inning and proceeded to score in every inning that followed. No lead for opposing teams feels safe. 'They showed you that you just got to keep it close as a pitcher,' Warren said. 'These guys are going to put up runs.' Grand Slam GRISH! 🔥 — New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 20, 2025 That's why Yankees general manager Brian Cashman must add a few pitchers to the roster by the end of the month. The pitching staff, primarily the bullpen, is not good enough to win in October. There are three relievers Yankees manager Aaron Boone can trust right now: Devin Williams, Luke Weaver and Tim Hill. Every other reliever Boone has at his disposal feels like a hope-and-pray situation. That's not a recipe for postseason success. '(We've) got to get a little healthy down there and have a couple guys step up and emerge for us in some roles,' Boone said. The Yankees had that kind of bullpen magic last year, and it propelled them to the World Series. Weaver emerged as one of the best relievers in the sport. They added Hill off waivers from the Chicago White Sox, and he immediately became a high-leverage arm. Michael Tonkin provided key innings until he was out of gas. Jake Cousins stepped up as one of the best strikeout arms in the majors. However, the Yankees haven't received that many out-of-nowhere successes from a reliever this year. Fernando Cruz is the leader in that category, but he's out with an oblique strain and won't return until next month at the earliest. With Cruz and Mark Leiter Jr. out with injuries, lower-quality relievers have had to take on bigger roles. Ian Hamilton and Jonathan Loáisiga, two struggling relievers, are key middle relievers when they shouldn't be. There are then three relievers with lower-leverage arms that Boone cannot trust in big spots. Advertisement Boone needed to use Loáisiga for a second inning in Saturday's game because, simply, there aren't better options on the roster. Loáisiga loaded the bases with one out in the seventh inning before Weaver took over with the Yankees down 8-7. Weaver escaped without allowing a run and allowed the offense an opportunity to take the lead. Two innings later, Trent Grisham hit a go-ahead grand slam, providing one of the biggest swings of the Yankees' season so far. 'I know our offense is going to do something if I give them the chance,' Weaver said. The Yankees have two wins this season in games where they've allowed at least nine runs. They had one win in 64 such games from 2020-2024, according to Stathead's Katie Sharp. Saturday's win was also the fourth time in the last 100 years that the Yankees had two five-plus-run comebacks in the 6th inning or later in a six-game span, Sharp added. Those stats demonstrate how special the Yankees' offense is this year. Weaver believes this year's offense is better than last year's team that employed the American League MVP in Aaron Judge and the third-place finisher in Juan Soto. 'It's hard to argue,' Weaver said. 'They're first in a lot of categories, so I hear. It's games like (Saturday) that show up where — especially in the bullpen late — you just feel like at any point, you can't sit there and be easy watching the game. You can't be a spectator. You got to be able to know this team will come back at any point, string together some hits. There's not one guy in the lineup that's just not going to go up there and give something competitive.' If Cashman can add to the pitching staff in the next 11 days, it could be enough for the Yankees to get through the American League because this offense does not quit. (Photo of Trent Grisham: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Brian Cashman's best options for delivering on his Yankees trade deadline vow — and potential Plan Bs
Access the Yankees beat like never before Don't miss Greg Joyce's text messages from The Bronx and beyond — he's giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Yankees. Sign Up Now 'Pencils down.' Brian Cashman uses the expression often in reference to the trade deadline. Because after 2018, MLB eliminated waiver trades between Aug. 1-31. That left the non-waiver portion as the last time you can externally improve your team. Advertisement So at 6 p.m. on July 31, it is 'pencils down.' The test is done. If you lose your starting shortstop on Aug. 1, good luck. Cashman recently promised 'to go to town' before the deadline. The Yankees' head of baseball operations believes he has the bones of a repeat AL champion. But also 'areas on this team that need fixing' — third base, rotation and bullpen. The market is fluid. Wins and losses over the next 10-ish days will impact who buys, sells and how much. Let's examine the three areas for best Yankees outcomes and Plan Bs:
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB Scout Thinks 3 Specific Trade Deadline Additions Would Guarantee Yankees World Series Return
An MLB scout believes that if the New York Yankees add three specific players before the MLB trade deadline this month, it would make them nearly unbeatable in the American League this fall. After dominating the AL East for much of the season, the Yankees now find themselves in a dog fight to win the division. The Toronto Blue Jays have developed momentum over the last month, and the Boston Red Sox have come on fast after a recent win streak. It puts major pressure on Brian Cashman to make some impact trades before the July 31 deadline. During a conversation with NJ Advance Media, an anonymous MLB scout who knows the team well was asked how good he thinks they would be if they made a rumored trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for Eugenio Suarez and Zac Gallen, and pursued Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase. Well, the scout liked those moves for New York and suggested it would make them a near lock to be back in the World Series again this October. Related: 'They're frontrunners,' the scout said about the team if they add those three players. 'If you have Eugenio Suarez at third base and you have Zac Gallen in the rotation behind Fried, Rodon, and Gil, and you have Clase in the bullpen; if you add all those pieces, your infield gets better, your lineup gets better, your rotation gets better, and your bullpen gets better. 'If the Yankees make those moves, who's going to beat them in the American League? The Tigers have had a great year. But unless their lineup gets a lot better, they're not beating the Yankees with Saurez, Gallen, and Clase on the roster.' Is Emmanuel Clase another Mariano Rivera? The scout really liked the addition of those three players for the Yankees. But he seemed to be very high on what Clase could bring during the second half. Even mentioning his similarities to legendary pinstripes closer Mariano Rivera. 'Oh my God! Clase is a game changer,' they said. ''Hey, Clase, go do your Mariano Rivera thing and throw that cutter 100 mph.' Ballgame. Think about Clase in pinstripes. You know what's coming, and you still can't do anything with it. 'If that ain't Mariano Rivera all over again, I don't know what is. And if the Yankees get Clase, they can move Williams to the eighth inning and use Weaver to get four or five outs in the sixth and seventh.' The club has been linked to all three players in recent speculation as we close in on this month's MLB trade deadline. Related: Related Headlines Six Philadelphia Eagles Who Must Step Up for Another Super Bowl Run Steelers Make T.J. Watt Highest-Paid Defender in NFL History Derrick Lewis Next Fight: 3 Options for 'Black Beast's' UFC Return, Including Sergei Pavlovich UFC Lightweight Rankings: Where Do Poirier and Holloway Land Ahead of UFC 318 Showdown?
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Yankees Expected ‘To Get After It' Before Trade Deadline: 6 Blockbuster Trade Targets, Including Chris Sale
The New York Yankees are right in the thick of the Wild Card and American League East race. Pinstripes general manager Brian Cashman is always active before the trade deadline. However, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal suggested Friday the Yanks may be more aggressive than usual to improve the roster this month. 'The Yankees are definitely going to get after it,' Rosenthal said on the 'Foul Territory Show.' 'Brian Cashman has said, 'We're going to town.' And they have very obvious needs. Starting pitcher being one. Bullpen help is the most important thing they can do. And yes, third base. Especially with Jazz [Chisholm] back at second. They want to improve in all of those areas.' If the Yankees do go big game hunting before the July 31 MLB trade deadline, here are six stars they could target in a blockbuster deal. Sandy Alcantara Sandy Alcantara has had a tough time trying to recapture his elite form in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. However, scouts around the game expect the 2022 NL Cy Young to return eventually. That could come just in time for the playoffs and make him a massive addition in October. His rough season will help make a deal easier. Furthermore, he has two years left on his deal at an affordable rate. Related: Eugenio Suarez Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star Eugenio Suarez has been linked to New York for weeks. While he will be a rental and will surely test his value in free agency after the season, he would be a huge addition for the second half. The 34-year-old is having the best season of his career and is on pace to potentially hit 60 home runs this year. Pairing him with Aaron Judge over the final months of the season will strike fear in AL rivals. Zac Gallen Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen wouldn't be a blockbuster addition on his own, but there is a good chance he would come in a huge deal that includes Suarez. He has had a down season in 2025. Nevertheless, he is a rock-solid pitcher who adds more depth to the rotation, and he was a big part of Arizona's trip to the World Series two years ago. Related: Emmanuel Clase Emmanuel Clase is an elite closer who could very well be up for grabs before July 31st. Having a back end of the bullpen that features the three-time All-Star, Devin Williams, and Luke Weaver is the kind of trio that can help carry a team to a World Series title. While he won't come cheap, he is under team control for three more seasons. Chris Sale The Atlanta Braves have claimed they won't trade Chris Sale before the MLB trade deadline. But with the team nearly 10 games out of the final Wild Card spot, what is the point of holding on to the nine-time All-Star? With him having one more year left on his deal, the Braves might be able to squeeze some premium prospects out of New York in a deal. Adding a future Hall of Famer like Sale for the stretch run would be huge. Related: Ryan McMahon The New York Yankees have been linked to Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon for months. They have the pieces to get a deal done. However, the Rockies have few impact players on the roster, and they are not known for making big in-season trades. If they can get top 10 prospects from the Yanks system, they should seriously consider moving the one-time All-Star. Related Headlines 'All-Time Low': Pirates Reporter Reveals Why Bryan Reynolds Won't Be Traded at Deadline '1 Percent Chance': Pirates Reporter Shares Bleak Take on Paul Skenes Extension Prospects Top MLB reporter: Teams Will 'Laugh At' Luis Robert Jr. If He Makes This Demand Did Kyle Schwarber's All-Star Game Heroics Drive Up His Price With Free Agency Looming?
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Five dates to circle for remainder of Yankees' 2025 schedule
ATLANTA - As the Yankees reconvene at Truist Park, there are several key 2025 dates to circle on the pinstriped calendar. With 66 games to play, the Yankees (53-43) are two games back in the AL East, two games ahead in the AL wild card standings and they resume the 2025 season with a six-game road trip beginning Friday night. Of those remaining 66 games, 26 are within the division - where the Yankees currently own a disappointing 10-16 record. Here are five important regular season dates to remember: July 21 at Toronto Just 18 days after being swept by the Blue Jays in four games, the Yankees find themselves back at Toronto for a three-game set. You'll recall that the Yankees arrived at Rogers Centre with a three-game lead over Toronto and exited in second place after George Springer and company destroyed Yankee pitching. Here's a quick opportunity for the Yankees to answer back, or risk falling further in the AL East as the MLB trade deadline looms. July 31 at Yankee Stadium At 6 p.m., the MLB trade deadline arrives, at which time we'll know if GM Brian Cashman made any impact additions to a club in need of pitching, a third baseman, and possibly a righty-hitting outfielder. 'I'm always interested in adding something that'll have big impact, that'll supercharge us,'' Cashman said recently, emphasizing the need for pitching of any kind. 'We're going to be fully engaged'' in the trade market, and names like Eugenio Suarez, Zac Gallen and Jhoan Duran will be prominent these next two weeks. August 5 at Texas Based on his rehab timeline, this is possibly the date when Luis Gil is activated from the injured list (lat strain) and returns to the Yankees' rotation. Gil's initial rehab start at Class AA Somerset went well, and his looming presence at least provides some trade-deadline period cover, whether or not the Yankees land an impact starter. But it might take a few starts for Gil to build stamina and rhythm. And remember, his 2024 Rookie of the Year award was largely based on his first half; Gil posted a 5.15 ERA in his last 15 starts. September 2 at Houston Another playoff preview? Joe Espada's Astros currently own a five-game AL West lead and this is the Yankees' lone regular season visit to hated Houston, kicking off a big stretch against tough opponents. Following this three-game set, the Yankees arrive home for series against the Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers, who might be ready to clinch the AL Central during their Bronx visit. September 12 at Boston At the All-Star break, the Red Sox were riding a 10-game winning streak, moving them within a game of the second-place Yanks, who are 1-5 against Boston this year. Rafael Devers isn't at Fenway Park to punish them anymore, but the Yankees should expect to see an Alex Bregman-led Boston club with some reinforcements stemming from the trade deadline. This also starts a key period, the Yankees' final and potentially most treacherous road trip - 10 games, with stops at Minnesota and Baltimore. This article originally appeared on Yankees 2025 schedule: Dates to circle for season's second half
