Yankees Have New Focus After Infield Trades

The trade deadline is just around the corner, and the New York Yankees have already made the moves they need at the infield. In the days to come, their focus is expected to shift to their bleak pitching situation.

Over the weekend, the Yankees picked up third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies and infielder Amed Rosario from the Washington Nationals, filling out the infield as expected. The new guys will likely replace struggling infielders Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas, who have contributed to sloppy defense the last couple months as the Yankees continue to slip from the top of the American League East.

Now it's time to land some arms.

Yankees manager Brian Cashman had listed an infielder among his possibilities in early July, but his emphasis was on pitching — specifically a starter and some relievers — to make up for the team's losses this season. The Yankees are now short three impressive starters: Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil and most recently Clarke Schmidt, who went in for his season-ending Tommy John surgery on July 11. Max Fried is off and on with a blister and a recent bloody finger, so he may be shaky for the time being, and four relievers are on the IL.

Some of the favorites with five days to go are Pittsburgh Pirates righty Mitch Keller and Arizona Diamondbacks RHPs Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Keller has a 3.53 ERA in 21 starts this season, Gallen has a 5.58 ERA in 21 starts, and Kelly has a 3.22 ERA in 22 starts.

Gallen and Kelly were being floated as possibilities to go with Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez, landing the Yankees yet another infield option. That seems highly unlikely now, given the events of the weekend, and there is no telling how that might affect the fates of their RHPs.

Fans are hoping for an eventful week ahead. The choices the Yankees make to fix their pitching woes will likely determine whether or not they can climb out of this hole they find themselves in. With Aaron Judge on the IL (however briefly) and the Yankees losing by depressing margins, they could certainly use some good news.

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