Can Brian Cashman Save the Yankees With a Trade Deadline Blockbuster?

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman might be tempted to take it relatively easy at this year’s trade deadline.

His team opened the season as the best in baseball. The career histories of slumping veterans like Gleyber Torres, DJ LeMahieu and Gerrit Cole suggest that their struggles will soon turn around. And strong returns from injured sluggers Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo could be more impactful than many players on the trade market.

But the team’s 10-21 record in its last 31 games suggest more will be needed. A pitching staff that has slumped to a 4.90 ERA and an order that has a mere .231 batting average in the last 30 days demonstrates that issues persist throughout. And the second-highest payroll in MLB, at more than $307 million, means a deep playoff run is the expectation.

Related: Yankees Could Target Former All-Star, Ex-Gold Glove Winner in Trades

With a little more than one week until the July 30 MLB trade deadline, Cashman might have one final chance to save the Yankees’ World Series aspirations by adding difference-making players. But, facing a seller’s market and stiff competition for impact players, he will have to be as aggressive and creative as ever to pull.

Yankees Willing to Trade Top Prospect Spencer Jones

“Cash always seems to be able to add good pieces at the deadline without giving up too much,” an anonymous major league scout said, per SNY . “But I feel like he’s going to have to pull a rabbit out of a hat this year to get what he needs without giving away the farm.”

Cashman might be running out of magic tricks, though, as a new report suggests the Yankees’ best farm pieces are suddenly on the table. Spencer Jones, the team’s top prospect, is newly available after remaining untouchable up to this point.

“The Yankees, for the first time, are willing to include No. 1 prospect Spencer Jones in a trade for White Sox ace Garrett Crochet or Tigers Cy Young candidate Tarik Skubal,” USA Today ’s Bob Nightengale reported . “The White Sox, however, are holding out for a bigger package from the Yankees and others.”

Related: Yankees Face Steep Price in Blockbuster Trade for MLB Strikeout Leader

By targeting Crochet (the American League's total strikeout leader) and Skubal (the odds-on favorite to win the American League Cy Young Award), Cashman is firmly interested in the biggest-impact additions on the market. Whether he is willing to offer the kind of trade package that actually brings those types of players to New York remains to be seen.

Yankees face stiff competition for blockbuster deadline trades

The Yankees aren’t the only World Series contender seeking a jolt before the end of the month. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles also are targeting Crochet and Skubal, and both suitors possess deeper farm systems to leverage.

As a result, it might all come down to Cashman’s willingness to pay the right price. He will have plenty of excuses to avoid doing so: the team will need young players and cap space to re-sign Juan Soto to a long-term deal, the roster is already full of highly paid veterans and the few deadline sellers will command exorbitant prices.

But those excuses might fall on deaf ears if Cashman stands pat while other contenders lean in.

“Now, imagine if the Orioles and general manager Mike Elias decide to take that top-rated farm system of theirs and make some big moves at the deadline,” Newsday suggested. “It’s not a particularly enticing scenario, is it? And knowing that the Yankees have some key players returning won’t be more than a cold, bitter comfort.”

Related: Orioles a ‘Compelling’ Trade Destination for Cy Young Favorite, per Insider

Related: Dodgers Projected to Land MLB Strikeout Leader in Blockbuster Trade