Can the Yankees’ trade-deadline plans save the team?

America’s 250^th birthday saw fireworks spanning from sea to shining sea, but in the Bronx, the New York Yankees have only been able to launch very few of their own. 

For over two weeks, the Yankees have been mired in an excruciating summer slump. Since June 18, the Bombers have won only four of 17 games (one of their last 10), breaking out of a seven-game losing streak on Friday against one of their favorite punching bags, the Minnesota Twins. 

However, it was the punching bag that had the last laugh. On Sunday, the Twins claimed a series victory over the Yanks, taking their first series from them in the Bronx since 2014, just a glimpse of how devastating the nosedive has been. Even more devastating is that the last three teams to pummel the Pinstripes (Twins, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox) are sub-.500 teams. What happened to the once-mighty Yankees? 

To start, the offense lost its spark with both Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt cooling off drastically and numerous injuries ravaged the team on a routine basis. The bullpen, though it boasts one of the best ERAs in baseball, brings quality but lacks quantity, as only half of its frequently used bullpen arms have ERAs below 4.00. The defense has been miserable, allowing unearned runs to rob them of wins. And of course, there is their inability to mount successful comebacks or score runners in scoring position, which has been a frustrating sight for Yankee fans. 

The past few weeks have been tumultuous for the Yankees. But the opportunity to insert new life into this stiff Yankees team is coming. So, what are management’s trade deadline plans? 

The Yankees appear to be prioritizing the bullpen ahead of the trade deadline 

Ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline, insiders have brought to light two revelations: Chances of the Yankees acquiring Tarik Skubal sit around zero, and the team plans to trade for relievers. In a recent piece from MLB.com, insider Mark Feinsand wrote that Yankees GM Brian Cashman may “add a relief arm or two.” 

Bringing one or two reliable arms into the mix (if possible, since the relief market is shallow) would be an encouraging start. But assuming the offense will be saved when Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton return might be a stretch. 

Still, adding to the offense might be easier said than done. According to Feinsand, the Yankees might choose to neglect the position of catcher, instead relying on Austin Wells. Though Wells’ bat has been abysmal, Feinsand suggests the Yankees are afraid of disrupting the pitching staff. 

If the Yankees don’t trade for a catcher, it would become essential to boost the offense in another area. The Yankees, as a team, have a .235 batting average with 691 hits on the season, ranking them 25^th and 27^th in baseball, respectively. But one potential area of improvement Feinsand didn’t mention was the left side of the infield. 

Silence on that front may indicate the Yankees aren’t currently in the running for an infield bat, which is understandable since that market hasn’t quite developed as of yet. Among possibilities are Bo Bichette, Matt Chapman and Gleyber Torres (though Torres may have burned a bridge with Cashman on social media). 

Of these three, Bichette may have the best chance of being dealt since the New York Mets are in a hole, and he could opt out after this season. Among other rumored infielders, the Houston Astros have seemingly shot down the possibility of trading Jeremy Pena, and CJ Abrams will likely stay with the Washington Nationals, as they are above .500. 

Should the Yankees not acquire a catcher, their only shot at salvaging their flailing offense might be with a new infielder. If no move is made to improve the offense, this could result in a catastrophe for the Yankees, similar to the one that plagues them now.