When the second half opened last Friday, the New York Yankees found themselves out of the postseason picture, a game behind the third wild-card spot and a game up on last place in the brutal AL East. Injuries and an underperforming offense have landed New York on the postseason bubble, and they're desperate enough that they changed hitting coaches just before the All-Star break.
"I wanted to give things a chance to work its way through, but I feel honestly at this point, it's not going to improve, at least as it sits," GM Brian Cashman told MLB.com about the hitting coach change. "It doesn't mean the offense couldn't have gotten better organically, but I feel like we'll be better served with a new messenger."
As poorly as the offense has performed this year and as much as fans are frustration, there is zero chance -- zero -- the Yankees sell at the deadline. They're in the race and they have Gerrit Cole in his prime. You only get so many bites at the apple with a guy like that at the height of his powers. The Yankees will add at the deadline and push for a postseason spot, as they should.
The trade deadline is Tuesday, Aug. 1, giving Cashman & Co. only two weeks to reinforce the roster for the stretch drive and the postseason push. What do the Yankees need? Who could they target? Here's what you need to know about the Yankees heading into this summer's trade deadline.
Needs
New York's single biggest need is not something they can acquire at the trade deadline: Aaron Judge. The reigning AL MVP tore a ligament in his toe crashing into the Dodger Stadium wall on June 2 and has not played since. He has begun baseball activities but there is no firm timetable for his return. Without Judge, the offense has stagnated. All they can do is wait for him to get healthy.
The Yankees have received below average production -- closer to the worst in the league than average, really -- production at third base and in left field. Veterans Josh Donaldson (now injured) and DJ LeMahieu are underperforming at the hot corner. In left, the Yankees have started nine different players this season, most commonly utility man Oswaldo Cabrera. These are glaring needs.
You can never have enough pitching and that's true for the Yankees even with Carlos Rodón's recent return from the injured list. Luis Severino has struggled badly this year, Nestor Cortes is out with a shoulder issue and is several weeks from returning, and Clarke Schmidt will soon set a new career high in innings. A depth arm to lighten the load on everyone else feels worthwhile.
