The New York Yankees have consistently been the best team in all of baseball this season. They currently stand with the best record in the MLB at 51-26, with a half-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles, who have been nipping at their heels all season long. So how could this team improve themselves by the MLB Trade Deadline?
It's been a season that has come off as a bit of a surprise in the Bronx. Everyone just assumed that the Yankees were going to be better, but not to this level. They were the first team to 50 wins this season and have a plus-113 run differential, which is the second-best in the majors. That's in large part thanks to an impressive lineup that not only has Aaron Judge now but also Juan Soto, who the Yankees traded for during the offseason.
The one-two punch of Judge and Soto has given the Yankees the second-best offense in baseball, boasting 111 homers, 384 runs scored, and a .433 slugging percentage. But that's to be somewhat expected based on name recognition alone, even if Soto was coming off a bit of a down year with the San Diego Padres. It's New York's pitching that has been the real impressive part of their roster.
The starting rotation for the Yankees, consisting of Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, Marcus Stroman, Carlos Rodon, and Nestor Cortes, has been surprisingly great. The group, which also includes Cody Poteet and now the returning Gerrit Cole, has a combined 37 quality starts for a league-best ERA of 2.87.
Cole's absence was an immediate bummer at the beginning of the season, which left many New York fans and pundits believing that the Yankees would have to tough it out until his return. Yet, Gil, who had to step in for Cole, has pitched himself into being one of the best pitchers in the MLB this season, posting a fourth-best ERA of 2.03.
However, it hasn't all been sunshine and rainbows for this year's Yankees team. As good as the lineup has been, there have been some holes. Anthony Rizzo and Gleyber Torres have greatly struggled, hitting for a combined .221 with 122 strikeouts. Worse, Rizzo isn't even in the lineup, though not for his poor performances, but because of a wrist injury that is said to keep him out four to six weeks.
This all goes to prove that no team is perfect and that help will be needed through trades should the 2024 Yankees look to make a return to the postseason after missing last season for the first time since 2016. Right now, FanGraphs gives them a 99.7 percent chance of making the playoffs. Last year at the MLB Trade Deadline, New York did nothing of note, but that's likely to change this year. Here's how they could greatly improve their team.
Yankees trade for infielder Ryan McMahon
Whether he was highly productive or not, Rizzo's absence is still a vital piece of this year's Yankee's squad. If for nothing else, he was a huge veteran presence that had already been on a championship-winning team with the Chicago Cubs back in 2016. For now, prospect Ben Rice has been called up in Rizzo's absence. He's hit .275 with a .925 OPS and 15 home runs between the Double-A and Triple-A levels this season. But time will tell if that will last.
The best infielder that should be available, even though he may not be, is the Colorado Rockies' Ryan McMahon. He's having one of the best seasons of his career currently, all the while being on a really bad Rockies team. He's slashing .271/.347/.465 with 12 homers and an OPS of .813.
He would probably come with a hefty price tag that maybe the Yankees wouldn't be willing to fork out, but he would be a huge upgrade to either of their corner infield positions as he's an overall versatile infielder, playing at multiple positions in his career and not just third base, his current position. If the Yankees could make this trade, they'd become an even bigger World Series favorite than they are now.
Yankees trade for Marlins left-hander Tanner Scott
While the Yankees may boast one of the better bullpens in the MLB, it's one that is dominated by right-handers. They have just two lefties in Caleb Ferguson (4.67 ERA) and Victor Gonzalez (4.64 ERA). That makes a strong case for the Yankees to go out and trade for Miami Marlins' Tanner Scott.
The lefty is having a phenomenal season and the Marlins should definitely be looking to ship him off. He's given up just six earned runs all season long in 31 innings pitched for an ERA of 1.74 with 34 punch-outs, per FanGraphs. He's got a total of eight saves. The New York Post's Jon Heyman has already linked the Yankees as one of the favorites to land Scott as the MLB Trade Deadline inches closer.
