Will Yanks act at Deadline? Judge makes pitch

This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch’s Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

NEW YORK -- As the Yankees’ captain, Aaron Judge enjoys a direct line to ownership, able to contribute his two cents on all team topics. In the last calendar year, he has weighed in on how the club communicates analytical information with players, directed extensive renovations to the players’ area at the Spring Training complex and lobbied for the old-school road uniforms adopted this season.

He has also been vocal about potential acquisitions ahead of Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline, and while Judge wouldn’t say if he has lobbied for particular players, the odds-on bet is that he has. Remember, Judge actively nudged general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone in favor of the club’s acquisition of outfielder Alex Verdugo, among other recent transactions.

“Yeah, we’ll see what up-top does,” Judge said on Wednesday. “As a player, all we can do is go out there and play so they’ll make the right moves and put us in the best position, because we’ve got a great team here. We’re a game and a half out of first place in our division, the toughest division in baseball. So I think upstairs, they’ll do their thing and put us where we need to be.”

Despite a summer slide that has seen the Yankees lose 22 of their last 32 contests, including being swept by the Mets in this year’s Subway Series, Judge is correct in that his club remains in postseason position. If the season ended Thursday, they would hold the American League’s first Wild Card spot, though that grasp seems tenuous considering their recent performance.

It is believed that Cashman’s primary focus has been on securing bullpen help, preferably a swing-and-miss reliever. Published reports have connected the Yankees to a potential reunion with Blue Jays right-hander Chad Green, while the Angels’ Carlos Estevez, the Marlins’ Tanner Scott, the Nationals’ Kyle Finnegan, the Blue Jays’ Yimi García and the Cubs’ Tyson Miller are among the arms who could help replenish late-inning depth.

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The club’s slump has exposed other flaws and needs. While they keep the lights on for the pending returns of Giancarlo Stanton and No. 1 prospect Jasson Domínguez, the Yankees also want to add at least one impactful hitter, preferably someone who can play the infield.

The group of possible fits there would include the Marlins’ Jazz Chisholm Jr., who not coincidentally recently returned to the infield. However, ESPN reported this week that the Bombers have concerns about how his personality would fit inside their clubhouse. A likely target is versatile Angels infielder Luis Rengifo, who is batting .309/.351/.432 in 71 games this season and would help relieve the Yanks’ reliance on DJ LeMahieu.

Could a deal be struck with a division rival? The Rays are turning their attention to 2025, so infielder Isaac Paredes and infielder/outfielder Brandon Lowe would have appeal for New York. The Yankees have also reportedly checked in with the Reds regarding second baseman Jonathan India, though it’s believed that Cincinnati won’t deal India as long as it remains in the National League Wild Card race. It’s thought that the Cubs could draw interest on Nico Hoerner and Mike Tauchman, too.

The Yankees are also gauging the starting pitching marketplace, where prices remain sky-high. For example, the White Sox refused to discuss left-hander Garrett Crochet unless the Yanks would part with outfielder Spencer Jones, the club’s No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. USA Today reported that the Yankees would consider moving Jones in a deal for Crochet or the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal.

Additionally, the Yanks have contacted the Cubs about right-hander Jameson Taillon, who last pitched for New York in 2022.

“I think it’s an exciting time for our sport,” Boone said of the Trade Deadline. “As I sit here right now, obviously I’m not as intimately involved in this as Cash and the front office. My job is on the field and with our team, but you pay attention, and I have conversations with them. It feels like today is going to be very different than the last day going into the Trade Deadline, with who actually is available and who is on the block.

“… Right now, it seems very cloudy with a lot of teams not knowing if they’re in or out. That will become more clear as we get closer.”