The MLB Trade Deadline has come and gone. The New York Yankees left it with two new bats but without reinforcements in two of their biggest positions of need. Coming into the deadline, New York’s biggest needs were at catcher, in the bullpen, and for a right-handed bat. To the surprise of many fans and analysts, the Yankees did not add any relief pitchers or a catcher.
While the Yankees addressed the latter by acquiring outfielder Heliot Ramos and first baseman Luis Garcia Jr., they failed to add a catcher or a relief pitcher. Both Ramos and Garcia should help stabilize the lineup that is currently without Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger. However, the Yankees’ failure to address their biggest weaknesses could prove costly in October.
With a talented roster competing for the American League pennant, New York had an opportunity to strengthen its World Series chances at the deadline. Instead, the team left two glaring holes on the roster.
Additions Provide Stability to the Lineup
The Yankees offense has struggled mightily without their superstar Aaron Judge in the lineup. Since June 1, New York has the worst batting average in the league, the worst on-base percentage, and the third-worst OPS. With Judge still not having a set timeline for his return, they needed to add a solid bat. They are getting a very solid bat with Luis Garcia Jr.
This season, Garcia has hit .285 with 24 home runs, 78 RBIs, and an .883 OPS. He is also second in the MLB in slugging percentage, with a .568 mark. Garcia crushes right-handed pitching, with a slash line of .298/.328/.603. Garcia should play every day against righties and will split time with Ben Rice between first base and designated hitter. He is under team control through the 2027 season.
The Yankees needed a right-handed bat to balance the lineup, which they are getting with Heliot Ramos. They did give up a decent amount, however, sending their No. 5 prospect Henry Lalane and No. 13 prospect Kaeden Kent to San Francisco. Ramos could be a valuable platoon bat against lefties. He has a slash line of .292/.343/.492 against southpaws this season.
Both these hitters can definitely provide a boost to a lineup that desperately needs one. However, neither of them addresses the issues at catcher and in the bullpen, which could come back to cost the Yankees the rest of the season and in October.
Failed To Capitalize on an Open American League
The Yankees were not very aggressive at the deadline, while some of their AL East rivals got a lot better. The first-place Tampa Bay Rays traded for starter Freddy Peralta to add to their rotation. Peralta has had a down season so far, but has shown to be a high-level pitcher throughout his career. They also added former Marlins catcher Liam Hicks, who has had a productive offensive season hitting .282 with 14 home runs and a .795 OPS.
With these additions, the Rays should continue to be one of, if not the best teams in the AL, and they have a great chance to win the AL East.
The Red Sox, the hottest team in baseball, made a big splash at the deadline. They traded with the division rival Orioles to acquire All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman. Rutschman is currently on the injured list with wrist inflammation, but he will be a big help for their lineup and pitching staff when he returns. The Red Sox know they have a team that can compete, so they went all-in in hopes of making a championship run.
These teams acquired catchers, but the Yankees did not, despite it being arguably the biggest hole in their lineup. This season, New York’s catchers have the fourth-worst average, fourth-worst slugging percentage, and third-worst OPS. They will be sticking with the tandem of Austin Wells and Ali Sanchez behind the plate, which won’t give the fanbase much confidence for the rest of the season.
Bullpen Arms Were Needed
Another area the Yankees could have added to was the bullpen. Even though their bullpen has been one of the best in baseball, more arms could always be needed in case of injuries or inconsistencies. Some of their high-leverage arms have pitched a lot recently, so it would have helped to add another high-end arm to strengthen this unit and keep them fresh for October.
The American League has been particularly weak this season. As of this writing, only five AL teams have a record above .500. The Yankees had a chance to put themselves over the top and compete for a World Series, but they chose only to make small upgrades and no “all-in” type of moves. As the years go on, New York’s window to win keeps closing.
Aaron Judge is 34, Gerrit Cole is 35, and Giancarlo Stanton is 36, so they may not have many prime years left. This core doesn’t have much time to win, and they could lose out on a 2027 season with the potential lockout incoming. If the Yankees come up short in October again, not making the necessary upgrades to the roster will prove to be costly once again.
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