It’s safe to say that the 2025 season has not gone as expected for the New York Yankees.
After peaking with a 42-25 record on June 12, the Yankees have gone just 16-24 since, leaving them four games behind the streaking Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East and with a tenuous hold on the first Wild Card spot. The loss of Clarke Schmidt to Tommy John surgery has further strained an already decimated rotation, while the bullpen has been a complete mess in front of closer Devin Williams. The defense hasn’t helped matters, particularly regarding Anthony Volpe and his league-leading 15 errors, and the offense has run hot-and-cold around Aaron Judge, who recently landed on the injured list with an elbow strain.
The common thinking around the Yankees is that they should always go all-in while Judge is on the team, but recent reports have indicated that there might be a shift in mindset. Even after acquiring third baseman Ryan McMahon and infielder Amed Rosario, the Yankees still have numerous holes to fill, and may target quantity rather than shopping at the top of the market for a player like Eugenio Suarez. SNY’s Andy Martino recently reported that the Yankees may be moving toward “soft buying,” and ESPN’s Jeff Passan echoed that sentiment in his trade deadline preview article this morning.
“The Yankees aren't as gung ho as they were, say, two weeks ago, but they're going to backfill with at least one solid reliever,” Passan wrote.
The thought that the Yankees would be targeting a late-inning reliever would have seemed crazy a few months ago, but the struggles of Luke Weaver (7.07 ERA since June 20) and injuries to Fernando Cruz and Mark Leiter may force general manager Brian Cashman’s hand. Fortunately for the Yankees, there figures to be many options available on the market, from rentals like Ryan Helsley to more costly options like Jhoan Duran and David Bednar.
More MLB: ESPN's Buster Olney outlines trade deadline plan for 'aggressive' Mets