Aaron Judge Should Be Livid After Yankees’ Bold Trade Deadline Moves

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Aug 1, 2025 8:25 AM ET

Theoretically speaking, the New York Yankees — and most of the league’s other contenders — bought at the trade deadline to solidify their chances at a World Series title.

Why, then, does it feel like the trade-happy Yankees underperformed at the deadline?

The Yankees turned heads within the deadline’s final hours, notably adding Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar and San Francisco Giants reliever Camilo Doval. New York also acquired Colorado Rockies pitcher Jake Bird and Tampa Bay Rays shortstop José Caballero before the clock hit triple zeroes.

Two things can be true: the Yankees improved their bullpen, and they’re still no closer to bringing Aaron Judge his first championship.

Don’t get us wrong: the three new relievers are a vast upgrade over the various arms who have occupied the Yankees’ bullpen. Bednar has been lights out since returning from Triple-A in April, and Doval is a former All-Star who remains a deadly late-inning option.

David Bednar, K'ing the Side in the 9th. pic.twitter.com/xtjYiSbwhd
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 7, 2025

However, the new-look bullpen only helps the Yankees so much. Aaron Boone will still field a lineup featuring the error-prone Anthony Volpe at shortstop, and he’s now essentially platooning Ben Rice and the aging Paul Goldschmidt at first base. Bednar’s arrival doesn’t change the fact that Goldschmidt has only two home runs and a .578 OPS since June 1.

Catcher Austin Wells has underperformed, and Giancarlo Stanton is striking out in 32.5% of his plate appearances. Having an elite bullpen in the postseason doesn’t help if you can’t hit with runners in scoring position or take advantage of an opponent’s struggling reliever.

The Yankees also failed to bolster their rotation, meaning there is a chance the inconsistent Marcus Stroman and Will Warren start meaningful games in September. That’s a frustrating thought considering the Yankes still sit 3 1/2 games out of first place.

Maybe the Yankees’ offense will get hot when it matters and prove us wrong. You’ll understand, though, why we’re not exactly feeling too optimistic.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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