2024 Yankees trade deadline preview: Greatest needs, possible targets as New York hunts for AL East title

Objectively, the New York Yankees have been one of the best teams in baseball this season. And yet it feels like they have been in crisis mode for about a month now. New York had the best record in baseball in mid June and have had one of the worst records in baseball since. Their postseason odds remain comfortably over 90%, but it's been a rocky few weeks, and help is needed.

"We're gonna be open-minded to a lot of different things," Yankees GM Brian Cashman said about the team's deadline plans earlier this month ( via the New York Daily News ). "I'm not going to point out anything specific, but we definitely have areas to improve upon, and we'll do our best to do so. My deadline plan is to see if we can run into as much that can improve our team as possible."

Cashman has been at this a long time and has perfected the art of GM speak -- "We're open to many things," basically -- in which he says a lot of words but nothing of substance. No executive is broadcasting their deadline intentions this time of year. Clearly though, the Yankees will be buyers leading up to the July 30 trade deadline. They're in it to win it and the roster needs help.

Here's what you need to know about the Yankees and their trade deadline situation.

Needs

For a team with a record as good as New York's, the Yankees sure do have a lot of needs. The offense around the peerless Aaron Judge and Juan Soto is thin, and the bullpen has been short on strikeouts all season. A starter wouldn't be a bad idea with Carlos Rodón and Marcus Stroman stumbling of late, Luis Gil entering uncharted workload territory, and Clarke Schmidt still being several weeks away from returning from his lat strain. You can never have enough pitching, right? Right.

Offensively, third base stands out as an obvious area to upgrade, both short- and long-term. DJ LeMahieu has hovered around a .500 OPS since returning from a spring-training foot injury in late May, and neither Jon Berti (who is currently injured) nor Oswaldo Cabrera are everyday players for a contender. The Yankees rank 24th among the 30 teams in WAR at third base and I was surprised to see them rank that high ("high"). Third base is the team's most glaring issue, offensively.

Ben Rice has done nice work filling in for the injured Anthony Rizzo at first base, and free agent-to-be Gleyber Torres has finally started to show signs of life at second, lessening the need there. The Yankees could definitely use a righty platoon bat for Alex Verdugo , however. Verdugo's been dreadful against lefties this year and over the last three years, and New York has had trouble with lefty pitchers all year. A platoon partner for Verdugo seems like a no-brainer.

A third baseman, a platoon partner for Verdugo, and a reliever with a high strikeout rate (ideally two) feels like the bare minimum for the Yankees at the deadline. Adding another starter, even just a back-end innings guy to lighten the load on everyone else (similar to the Philadelphia Phillies picking up Michael Lorenzen last year), wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Possible trade targets

A rental, Carlos Estévez misses more bats than any Yankees reliever, though a high-leverage guy with a ground ball rate hovering down around 30% will make you nervous, particularly in homer-happy Yankee Stadium. The Angels are not good and Estévez is a safe bet to be dealt at the deadline. The Yankees need a strikeout reliever just like him.

Another high-strikeout reliever. Whichever team trades for Michael Kopech (Yankees or otherwise) will try to help him gain the consistency that has eluded him throughout his career. Kopech threw an immaculate inning earlier this month , showing how dominant he can be at his best, though his gaudy strikeout rate comes with too many walks and too many home runs allowed. The Yankees have had success coaching up relievers and Kopech is not a rental (he'll remain under team control in 2025).

Could the Yankees and Rays hook up for a trade? Sure, why not? Earlier this year they got together with the Marlins on a three-team deal that sent Berti to New York and Ben Rortvedt to Tampa. Isaac Paredes has been the Rays' best hitter all season and was their All-Star representative, but top prospect Junior Caminero is coming for the third base job. Plus, Paredes is starting to get expensive, at least on the Rays' scale. He comes with another three years of control beyond this season and would give the Yankees the sort of power they've lacked at the hot corner the last few years.

The Rockies say Ryan McMahon isn't going anywhere , meaning Luis Rengifo will be the best available third baseman in the event no team bowls the Rays over with an offer for Paredes. Small problem though: Rengifo is on the injured list with wrist inflammation. There is no firm timetable for his return. Injured players can be traded -- the Yankees traded for Harrison Bader when he was in a walking boot two years ago -- though the injury does complicate things. Rengifo's career-high .800 OPS comes with a career-high 55% ground ball rate, and those things usually can't coexist. Regression may be coming his way. Regardless, he will remain under team control in 2025. He's not just a rental.

Marlins closer Tanner Scott is perhaps the player most likely to be traded at the deadline. Miami is very bad, he's coming up on free agency, and hard-throwing lefties are always in demand. There's no reason for the Marlins to keep him. Scott will drive you crazy with walks, but he brings a high strikeout rate and a high ground-ball rate to the table, and a plethora of late-inning experience. He's one of the hardest-to-hit pitchers in the sport and not giving up hits is the name of the game.

One more name to keep an eye on: Mark Canha . He still hits lefties very hard and would be a nifty left-field platoon partner for Verdugo, and also added depth at first base behind Rice (and Rizzo). The Tigers figure to sell at the deadline and Canha is a few months away from free agency. Not the sexiest name, I know, but Canha puts up professional at-bats and fits well with the Yankees' platoon needs. It shouldn't cost an arm and a leg to get him.

Trade chips

This has not been the best season for New York's farm system. Jasson Domínguez completed his Tommy John surgery rehab a few weeks ago and almost immediately pulled his oblique . Spencer Jones , their 2022 first-round pick, has one of the highest strikeout rates in the minors. That's bad. He's an outfielder, not a pitcher. Touted pitching prospects Chase Hampton (elbow) and Henry Lalane (shoulder) have missed much of 2024 with injuries, and Will Warren is struggling to get his ERA below 6.00 in Triple-A. Outfielder Everson Pereira was an obvious trade chip up until he needed season-ending elbow surgery a few weeks ago.

The Yankees have been very willing to trade pitching prospects the last few years but the well is beginning to run dry because of injuries and those trades. Warren is healthy and still has fans despite the ugly Triple-A numbers. He's a plug-and-play fifth starter, but also not someone who will headline a trade package for a difference-maker. Double-A lefty Brock Selvidge has had something of a breakout year and could be moved. Perhaps a team would be interested in buying low on Hampton or Lalane?

Shortstop Oswald Peraza , who isn't hitting much in Triple-A but is a standout gloveman, is presumably very available. The Yankees have never really been shy about trading lower minors prospects, though infielders George Lombard Jr. and Roderick Arias will be harder to pry loose than others. The Yankees want to add to their MLB roster, not subtract from it, but would they entertain trading Rice or even Gil in the right deal? I would bet heavily against it, though there's no reason to close any doors.

Even when the farm system isn't in great shape, Cashman and his staff have been able to scrounge up enough prospects to make deadline trades. The Yankees have needs all over the roster right now and this is an "all-in" year because it is Soto's only guaranteed year in pinstripes. On paper, the Yankees lack trade chips, but it only takes one team to really like a prospect more than everyone else. Expect the Yankees to be quite active leading up to July 30.