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Yankees’ MLB Trade Deadline Strategy Complicated by Injuries and Trade Market Realities

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The New York Yankees are approaching the July 31, 2025, MLB trade deadline with several critical roster needs and only limited flexibility to address them. Their pitching staff has taken multiple hits due to injury, their offense has cooled considerably, and their prospect pool, while top-heavy, may not be deep enough to compete for premium trade targets.

Key Takeaways
  • The Yankees are targeting Sandy Alcantara and Eugenio Suárez but may not have the prospect depth needed to make a competitive offer.
  • New York is monitoring Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Alex Bregman, though both options remain uncertain due to market competition and divisional dynamics.
  • Injuries to key pitchers and a historic offensive slump are pressuring the Yankees to make urgent trade decisions before the July 31 deadline.

Yankees Rotation Under Strain, Targeting Sandy Alcantara

The Yankees’ rotation has been significantly weakened. Gerrit Cole is out for the season, Luis Gil has not pitched this year due to a lat strain, and Ryan Yarbrough was recently placed on the injured list.

According to Zach Pressnell of FanSided, Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins could be the Yankees’ ideal solution. Alcantara has been under team control for multiple years at an affordable cost. Pressnell stated, “Adding him would set the Yankees up for years down the road.

Alcantara has a 6.69 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 59 strikeouts, and 34 walks over 74 innings in 15 starts this season. Prop betting data from Optimal Bet shows Alcantara has recently finished under 5.5 hits allowed and under 1.5 walks in several outings, indicating inconsistency in command.

Pressnell said that the Yankees’ “lack of prospect depth” could hinder a deal. Their system includes top-end prospects like Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr., and Everson Pereira, but lacks broader depth. The Marlins are unlikely to move Alcantara for a limited return.

Slumping Offense Fuels Interest in Eugenio Suárez, Bregman

While the Yankees’ rotation is stretched thin, the team’s bats have also gone alarmingly quiet. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Yankees scored only seven runs over a seven-game stretch, losing six of those games. Katie Sharp, a researcher, confirmed that the last time the Yankees endured such a stretch was September 1–7, 1908.

In response, the team has been linked to Eugenio Suárez of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Russell Dorsey of Yahoo Sports reported Suárez is batting .234 with 21 home runs and 58 RBI. Since 2019, he ranks sixth in MLB in home runs, behind Aaron Judge, Pete Alonso, Kyle Schwarber, Shohei Ohtani, and Matt Olson.

Suárez is in the final year of a 7-year, $66 million contract. Dorsey described him as “one of the game’s top personalities” with a strong clubhouse impact.

On June 17, Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarciaESM) tweeted that Buster Olney mentioned the Yankees would be interested in Suárez if Arizona sells. Garcia cited his 21 HRs and 127 wRC+, calling him a strong fit.

Despite recent struggles, online sportsbooks remain optimistic about the Yankees’ offensive potential. Ahead of their game against the Athletics, they were listed between -240 and -255 on the moneyline, with a run line of -1.5 and a total of 8.5 runs. Giancarlo Stanton, who entered with a four-game hitting streak, was listed at +350 to hit a home run, according to SI.com.

A bigger, though far less likely, trade candidate is Alex Bregman of the Boston Red Sox. ESPN’s Kiley McDonald and Jeff Passan included him among potential deadline trade candidates. Bregman is batting .299/.385/.553 through 51 games and signed a 3-year, $120 million deal with an opt-out after this season.

The Red Sox are 40–40 and 1.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. In a press conference posted to the team’s YouTube channel, Craig Breslow, Boston’s Chief Baseball Officer, said the team does “not intend to be sellers.” ESPN gave Bregman a 10 percent chance of being traded.

Yankees Explore Infield Options Amid Depth Concerns

Infield depth is another area of concern. Oswaldo Cabrera is out for the season, and Oswald Peraza has struggled offensively. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, Peraza is “not a viable major leaguer” and “next in line… to get DFA’d.”

The Yankees are monitoring Isiah Kiner-Falefa, currently with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bob Nightengale reported that both New York and San Francisco are interested. Kiner-Falefa played for the Yankees in 2022 and 2023 and is capable of playing shortstop, third base, and outfield.

Kirschner noted that if Peraza is removed from the roster, the Yankees must replace him with someone who has “shortstop experience.” Kiner-Falefa fits that need.

Boone’s Clubhouse Role and Prospect Strategies

Kirschner also addressed Aaron Boone’s role. While Boone receives criticism for bullpen and lineup decisions, Kirschner emphasized his value in managing player relationships. “Boone’s biggest strength is managing the personalities on the roster,” he wrote.

Jasson Domínguez’s switch-hitting ability is under review. Kirschner pointed out that 11 of Domínguez’s 12 career home runs came from the left side. He has an .819 OPS vs right-handed pitchers and a .512 OPS vs left-handed pitchers. Kirschner explained that Domínguez is 22 years old and lost development time in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season. He argued it’s too early to change his hitting profile.

Kirschner also commented on Spencer Jones, who remains in Double-A despite solid results. He speculated that the Yankees might be keeping him at that level to avoid any decline in trade value. “If you move him up now and he struggles at Triple A, maybe his value dips,” he wrote.

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Paulius is an experienced sports content writer with an MSc in Performance Analysis of Sports. He has worked as an online sports journalist for well-known sports websites such as Total Football Analysis, Sports Mole and others. He has been a sports enthusiast since the age of six, which has naturally led him to choose sports as a career path.