Brian Cashman talks with Bryson DeChambeau ahead of a game against the White Sox.
Leading into the July 31 Major League Baseball trade deadline, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is not likely to target starting pitchers or outfield help.
Even without former Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole and the 2024 American League Rookie of the Year, Luis Gil, the Yankees’ rotation has been more than solid with Max Fried and Carlos Rodon at the top. New York’s 3.53 team ERA ranks seventh in MLB.
The outfield is crowded, as there are four starting-caliber players and three spots. Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Jasson Dominguez make up the players on the grass. So, what part of the roster do the Yankees need to improve?
Yankees Urged to Make Upgrade at Third Base
Manager Aaron Boone and the New York Yankees have moved Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to third base after he debuted at the position last season.
“Jazz Chisholm Jr. plays an adequate third base (minus-2 defensive runs saved), but he grades out better at his natural position of second base (three DRS),” Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly wrote Monday.
“Acquiring a third base upgrade that allows the 27-year-old to just play second base would be a wise move for New York general manager Brian Cashman.”
If the Yankees were to move Chisholm back to second base, the Yankees would probably prefer to add a more distinguished player at third, as opposed to the aging DJ LeMahieu or Oswald Peraza, who has a .519 OPS in 50 games in 2025.
National Leaguers Listed as Third Base Options
The first player Kelly named as someone to watch this trade deadline is Eugenio Suarez of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who leads the National League with 67 RBIs to go along with 25 home runs.
“To that end, the Yankees—and just about every other contending team in baseball—will be hoping the Arizona Diamondbacks decide to become sellers,” wrote Kelly. “Can you imagine how much of an upgrade having Eugenio Suárez in this lineup would be over late-career DJ LeMahieu or Oswald Peraza?”
Suarez certainly possesses more power than LeMahieu and Peraza combined. Still, the Diamondbacks are not guaranteed to be sellers unless they dramatically fall out of the postseason race during the next few weeks.
The other player listed by Kelly was Isiah Kiner-Falefa of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who played two seasons with the New York Yankees from 2022 to 2023. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported on Sunday that the Yankees and San Francisco Giants “are keeping a close eye on versatile Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who should be available at the trade deadline.”
Kiner Falefa’s best attribute may be that he can play multiple positions on the field, but he performed relatively poorly with the bat during his tenure in New York.
“Kiner-Falefa wasn’t particularly popular in New York when he wore the pinstripes from 2022-2023, but he plays an excellent second base and also has the flexibility to play shortstop and third base,” wrote Kelly.
Suarez and Kiner-Falefa Would be Rentals
Both Suarez and Kiner-Falefa are free agents at the end of this season, so a trade to the New York Yankees means both players would be half-season rentals, looking to help New York win their first World Series since 2009.
Last year at the trade deadline, the Yankees acquired Chisholm and relievers Mark Leiter Jr. and Enyel De Los Santos.
