Jul 26, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins left fielder Harrison Bader (12) hits a ground rule double in the eighth inning off Washington Nationals pitcher Jackson Rutledge (79) at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Yankees Could Trade for Aaron Judge Replacement

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Jul 28, 2025 4:00 PM ET

With Aaron Judge on the mend due to an elbow injury, the New York Yankees have begun surveying the trade market for outfield help.

Though the club has considerable depth at the position, that hasn't stopped them from looking for outside reinforcements. According to ESPN's Buster Olney, two players in particular New York has shown interest in are Harrison Bader of the Minnesota Twins and Austin Slater of the Chicago White Sox.

The Yankees continue to work on adding bullpen help, according to rival evaluators, and they have talked with other teams about right-handed hitting outfielders. Former Yankee Harrison Bader is among those discussed, as well as White Sox outfielder Austin Slater.
The Yankees'…
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 28, 2025

Both Bader and Slater are rentals, which is notable because of the fact that Trent Grisham falls under that same umbrella while Cody Bellinger is likely to decline his player option for the 2026 campaign.

Acquiring an outfielder with team control beyond this season who could start alongside Jasson Dominguez and Aaron Judge moving forward would make sense, but that wouldn't be the case with either Bader or Slater.

The Yankees have reportedly been pursuing a right-handed bat beyond Amed Rosario, whom they acquired from the Washington Nationals over the weekend, and with some question marks surrouding Judge's defensive availability when he returns from the IL, Bader and Slater are still logical targets for the club despite their contract statuses.

Bader is plenty familiar with the Yankees, as he was dealt to the team from the St. Louis Cardinals at the 2022 deadline in exchange for left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery. He slashed .237/.274/.353 in 98 regular season games through 2023 before going on to spend time with the Twins, New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds.

The 31-year-old has primarily played left field for Minnesota this season, though a majority of his big league experience has come in center field. The former Gold Glover has long profiled as one of baseball's best defenders in the outfield, and he's maintained that reputation in 2025 with five Outs Above Average (OAA).

Slater has picked up expansive experience at all three outfield spots, though he's largely stuck in the corners for Chicago this season. The 32-year-old is a solid defender himself, logging one OAA, while batting .241/.307/.440 with five home runs in 128 plate appearances.

His batted ball data suggests that he's due to break out, however, evidenced by an expected batting average of .280, expected slugging percentage of .537 and barrel rate of 14.6 percent, per Baseball Savant.

The Yankees can't go wrong with either Bader or Slater, though it remains to be seen if they'll actually decide to add an outfielder over the next few days before the July 31 deadline.

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