Insider Says Yankees Are Targeting Playoff-Tested Starter at Trade Deadline

The Yankees don’t just need a starter; they need a starter who can pitch in October.

That’s the argument from The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty, who floated Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly as an ideal trade target ahead of the deadline. “Trading for Merrill Kelly would be a tremendous win for general manager Brian Cashman and his front office,” Kuty wrote. “The Yankees need a pitcher who could start a playoff game for them.”

He might be right.

Kelly, 36, is a classic late bloomer with a deep pitch mix and postseason experience. His fastball averages just 92.1 mph, but he misses bats at a high clip—ranking near the top of the league in chase rate—and rarely beats himself, walking just 2.6 per nine.

This season, Kelly has a 3.45 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 14 starts for Arizona. He’s struck out 84 batters in 81.2 innings and held opponents to a .216 average. Quietly, he’s been one of the more dependable arms in the National League. In four postseason games, Kelly is 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA.

And the price might be right.

Kelly is a pending free agent, so the Yankees wouldn’t be on the hook long-term, a key factor given their financial hesitance in recent years. If Arizona sells, he could be one of the more affordable frontline arms on the market.

Kelly’s path to the majors wasn’t typical. After being drafted by Tampa Bay in 2010, he never reached the big leagues with the Rays and spent four years pitching in Korea before signing with Arizona in 2019. Since then, he’s made 160 starts and compiled a 3.76 ERA across nearly 1,000 innings.

He’s not flashy. But he’s durable, smart, and playoff-tested.

And if the Yankees really want to survive October? Merrill Kelly might be the kind of quietly crucial move they can’t afford to pass up.