Can the Yankees fix their lineup at the trade deadline?

Wed, Jul 29, 2026

On this edition of Yankees Mailbag, SNY's Niki Lattarulo is joined by SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes to take on fan questions about the state of the Bronx Bombers. Questions are answered about the Yankees' trade deadline approach as they suffered another injury to a starting outfielder, their plans at the catcher position, and more.

Video Transcript

It would take a lot, in my mind, for the Mets to make that move with the Yankees.

A, because, you know, it's the Yankees.

What's up, guys?

Welcome to the newest episode of Yankees Mailbag.

I'm your host, Nicki Jaurulo, and I am joined by our SNY MLB insider, Chelsea Janes.

This is the show where we answer your questions on all things Yankees.

So just a reminder before we get started, you can go to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

Look for a post from SNY's account.

You can drop your questions in the comments, and if you're here on YouTube as well, you can also drop your questions in the comments.

So MLB trade deadline's coming up, and the Yankees suffered another tough injury.

Cody Bellinger gonna miss significant amount of time with a hamstring strain.

And coming up here in August, it's a tough time for the Yankees to deal with another injury.

So that leads us to our first question from Ed Helinski on X.

He said, "What trade deadline strategy is gonna happen now that Cody Bellinger is injured?"

You know, I don't expect the Yankees to change everything because Bellinger is out, much like I didn't expect them to change everything because Judge was out.

But at this point, because Bellinger's timeline starts to get a little bit close to the end of the season here, I do think you have to really pursue some kind of outfield bat.

I think that was gonna happen anyway.

I think they needed a right-handed bat.

I don't think they could have gone, you know, just counting on Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez.

Maybe they will.

But I think at this point you probably have to find somebody out there.

Maybe not a huge name.

Yeah, I think you obviously are still planning on Bellinger being back and Judge being back and not needing this mystery person that much when you get to the playoffs, but I think the main shift here is not really with the overall strategy.

You still need a catcher.

You still need pitching help.

But I think maybe now you push a little bit harder for someone in the outfield who can give you some depth just in case things don't go well with Bellinger and Judge.

Yeah, and you have to imagine that when Judge does come back, he's not always gonna be playing the outfielder.

Maybe not playing the outfield at all.

Right.

Same thing with Bellinger.

You don't know, like, how that recovery is gonna go.

So definitely safe to go with an outfielder.

Speaking of Aaron Judge, do you have any injury updates?

Where are things standing with him as of right now?

So we haven't heard that he's progressed into any Major Baseball activities or anything like that, so that is still a ways away.

He is on the trip with them in Chicago, which I think is telling.

It's, it doesn't necessarily mean he's, you know, getting ready to go in rehab or anything.

I think we're still a ways away, but it does mean they're keeping him around.

He's working out with team trainers.

He's not kind of banished to his home, which would, you might be if you were a little farther away, so he's The fact that he's around tells me that he's getting close to starting to ramp up, but we have not seen any signs of, you know, tons of baseball workload, so h- that is gonna take a while.

It's, that means he's still weeks away.

You know, we're not talking days by any means.

And then what about Giancarlo Stanton?

I feel like we, I forgot about him at this point.

It's been so long- since we've seen him on the field.

Is there an update on him, and do we think we could see him before the regular season comes to an end?

I think so.

I think you'll see him before this regular season ends.

You know, the last we kinda heard from Aaron Boone was that things were actually a little bit better than you might think, given that everyone kinda thought he had disappeared forever after that second injury.

So I think he is, I, you know, I don't know q- quite how close, you know, the next home stand next week.

You know, maybe if, if things go great, you can, you could see him there.

I think that's probably a little too early still, but I think he is probably closer than Judge.

Certainly closer than Bellinger.

And the key obviously with him is, you know, if he's close, that something doesn't happen that, that keeps him far away again.

Yeah.

And you know, when he gets back, there's gonna have to be some, some pretty serious, you know, workload management or whatever you wanna call it.

Mm-hmm.

Because the key with him is just get him out there in October.

Whatever it takes- Yeah get him in October, but I think August, certainly you'll probably see him again.

And that brings us to our next question.

Speaking about guys on the Yankees, maybe some guys that will not be on the Yankees come the trade deadline, Zachary Goldstein on X said, "Which Major League players on the Yankees are potential trade candidates?"

For me, this is a pretty limited group.

I still think they'll end up dealing from prospects more than current big leaguers.

I think Dominguez and Jones are fair to wonder about.

Certainly they probably don't have the same value they would have a few years ago.

Mm-hmm.

But that doesn't mean they don't have value.

There are teams that, that need young outfielders, and I think both are still very promising.

And then I think the pitching staff is somewhere you could deal from.

You know, is, is Ryan Weathers someone you could spin?

I think they love the idea of him maybe coming into the bullpen later in the year, but if you have to give big league talent to get what you need, okay, maybe he's someone you're willing to part with.

I think the same could be true for Will Warren, just because he's a young, controllable starting pitcher, and those guys He, you know, for all his numbers, his ups and downs, what he's been able to do early in his career for a team under as much scrutiny and with his standards as high as the Yankees, I think impresses a lot of people around the league who aren't gonna be as worried about his numbers as the number of years of control he would have left.

So to me, you know, could a Clarke Schmidt maybe go?

Another- another starter who's kinda off the radar, really not in their plans, you know, not crucial to the top of their rotation.

So those are kind of the guys I think of, but to me, if there's gonna be a big time acquisition, it's, it's gonna come from the farm system.

I wanted to follow up on that.

So you mentioned Dominguez and Jones.

If you look back at when they were these coveted top prospects, if you're the Yankees, do you wish you would've traded them then so you get more return than now them just kind of being mediocre in the big leagues?

You know, I think fans probably want that, you know, wish they had been traded before you kinda saw what they are.

Mm-hmm.

But I also think it's important to remember, especially with Dominguez, like he's still pretty young.

Jones is on the older side.

But you don't know what they're gonna be, right?

Like down years of development are not doomed development.

Now certainly, like an Anthony Volpe has made you think, "Okay, you know, we've seen a sample here and, and we think we know what this guy is," I don't know you've seen enough of Dominguez or Jones to kinda conclude that they're totally not gonna be You know, really useful big leaguers.

And certainly Dominguez, I think, is and will be a really useful big leaguer.

So I, you know, I get the idea of having wanted to trade them before.

Who knows what deal it would've been a part of?

Maybe there is a world in which, the Yankees are better off having done that sooner.

But I don't think they have no value now, and, and if- you're willing to trade them now, the key is to get the most you can out of them while they're still here.

And I'm not even convinced that, you know, the Yankees are eager to trade either of them.

I think they've invested a lot in both, especially Dominguez, and, and believe in them, and, you know, they don't have to be superstars to be useful to the Yankees down the road.

Yeah.

It's just interesting that we've heard their names for- Oh, yeah years and years, and they're still guys that are up and down, so it's kinda hard to know.

Our next question comes from @NYCSports96 on X.

He said, "If Mason Miller was available, but the catch is the Yankees had to take on a salary dump for a player like Bogarts, what other moves could be made to accommodate that?

Move Jazz and Volpe at the deadline?"

Yeah.

I don't think Volpe helps much with the, the salary, obviously.

Maybe Jazz.

You know, I, I feel like Jazz is in an in-between spot where if you could get something, you would think about it.

But I don't, I just don't see it.

I don't think it's gonna come down to that for Miller.

I think if the Yankees want Mason Miller, they're gonna have to send their best prospects to AJ Preller.

He loves prospects.

He loves them, number one, because he loves to scout.

He's got a great eye for talent, but also 'cause he loves to trade, and prospects let you trade.

Now, I don't know for sure that a deal for Mason Miller would not require, you know, taking on a contract, but I don't think it has to.

I th- and, and if it did, you know, there are ways you can get creative with that, but I also think the Yankees have other options, right?

If they wanted to push on Scoobel they could.

You know, Mason Miller, I, I don't think the Part of the appeal of Mason Miller is that it's not a huge expense.

It's a prospect expense.

It's not a contract expense.

And heading into the off season, where you don't really know what the CBA is gonna look like, adding a superstar who's gonna be around for a couple years who doesn't jack the payroll up, is part of the appeal.

So to me, I think the appeal goes way down if you attach a contract to it.

Maybe that's something that you think about more in the off season when you see how things shake out, but to me, I don't think they're gonna have to go that route.

If they did, yeah, a guy like Jazz, you could probably You know, Ryan McMahon, people like that, you could maybe see go.

I just don't think it's You know, it's not helpful, but I just don't think it's gonna come to that.

I'm surprised there's no questions about Anthony Volpe on here, so I'm gonna add one too- Yeah 'cause we just mentioned him.

Go for it.

Do you think he's someone the Yankees would trade?

I know fans, they're so 50/50 on whether they'd wanna see him go.

Like, if you're the Yankees, are you even, like, discussing trades with him possibly?

I don't know if they're discussing him, so I'll say that.

I have not heard that they are firsthand from anyone.

So I would not think he's untouchable, but I will say it's important to remember there's a pretty big sample there, and you might- be at the point where other teams, You know, I think with young players, you know, other teams can kinda hope or dream on them, but I think with Volpe you kind of have seen it offensively.

Defensively, I think there's reason to believe that, you know, he's struggled this year.

He's maybe been in a little bit of his head.

So yeah, maybe you're, if, if you're looking for like a defense first guy, you know, you can believe that that's who he's gonna be.

I just don't think he carries a deal by himself right now.

I could be totally wrong, in how other teams see him, but I haven't heard his name brought up as like, "Ooh, if we can get Volpe low, you know-" Yeah "buying low, then we should try to do it."

I think the infielders on the Yankees that people want are, are George Lombard Jr. And from my understanding, the Yankees are not gonna be pulling that, pulling that trigger.

Doesn't mean Anthony Volpe can't go.

I think he's a valuable player in, in, in, as a secondary piece in a deal, but I just, I don't think right now that's a priority for them, trading him, and I don't necessarily see another team that's like gonna prioritize acquiring him either.

You mentioned George Lombard Jr. @JudgeCole46 said, "Is George Lombard in play for the Major League roster at all this year?"

I think so.

You know, I know there's been a lot of speculation about whether it could be sooner than later.

Even if it's later, you know, if it's September, I think, I think you'll see him.

I think they almost have to try it, especially if they don't- acquire another infielder between now and the deadline.

If they do, right, if they get a bat who plays third or second or whatever it is, then maybe you wait on Lombard a little bit.

But I just think you know the ceiling on Caballero and you know the ceiling on- Volpe, for this year at least.

So Lombard provides an option that you don't have to trade for, that you really believe in, and I know they believe in defensively, number one.

And so if you have a roster that you think will hit enough, then I think you can take a chance on putting him in there.

If, if he's gonna have to, you know, if you're looking for big production from that spot and, and you haven't added a bat in the infield, I think it's riskier to bring him up because you're gonna be needing more from him offensively, and that pressure is just a lot to put on, you know, a rookie.

So we'll see what they do, and I think that it's kind of a cop-out, but I think the deadline will tell us a lot about how ready they really- think he is.

Because if they go get somebody that kind of clogs up that infield and gives him a little more time, then, you know, I think we'll kinda know his status.

But if they don't, then I think And there's a pathway there and it's still only Volpe and Caballero sorta in the way, then I think, you know, you're probably gonna see him and, and maybe see him play some big time innings down the stretch.

So are you putting him at short and Volpe at second, or is Volpe going on the bench and Jazz is staying at second?

It's a really interesting question.

I also think there's- Mm-hmm a world in which you move Volpe to second and put Jazz at third, and put McMahon in and for defensive reasons, right?

So- Mm-hmm I don't know that that's a better offensive lineup than the one you have.

With Volpe out of position and Jazz playing somewhere he hasn't played in a bit, I also don't know that it's a defensive, better defensive lineup than you had.

So it'll be interesting to see how they play it, but I think they could play it with all of them.

I just, you know, it's, it's gonna be interesting.

The Volpe conversation just kinda hangs there, you know.

It's very heavy.

Would he get sent down in a case like that?

It's, it's something I think they really need to sort out, but I don't quite see the pathway for them to sort it out, with the roster they currently have.

So if they do call up George Lombard, is the bench now too infield heavy?

Especially with the issues they have in the outfield with, like, half the outfield being on the injured list.

It's a really interesting question, right?

A- and, you know, you try to project that out.

It probably is, but you can make adjustments there.

You know, you can, you know, send people down, whatever it is.

But I think they need an outfield bat for sure.

Mm-hmm.

And how that kind of pushes people down the bench will depend on whether it's a righty or a lefty, or who they get in the infield.

But there's, for a team that is really, really good, really solid, the Yankees have a lot of questions at some really key positions.

Catcher and shortstop being two of them.

And the bench, it's like a lot of teams who are contending for a World Series are kinda, like, tweaking their bench this time of year.

Like, let's get that guy- to come off the bench.

Let's get, you know, that extra lefty pop.

And they're not there.

They're tweaking, like, the middle of the field.

So- Yeah it'll be really interesting to see how they play it, but important c- week for them for sure.

You know, not only for the bench, but just for everything.

Yeah.

You mentioned the catching situation.

That's also a big question with the trade deadline coming up.

So that brings us to @NewYork5NY on X said, "What's your solution to the Yankees catching situation?

Why don't they give Ben Rice any time behind the plate this season?"

You know, initially the answer on Ben Rice was that he had a hand injury, and they didn't wanna push it because they wanted to keep him in the lineup, and if he had to do his catching work, that would push it and maybe he would get injured.

I think the, the answer has morphed into, we cannot afford to have Ben Rice do the work daily that is required to catch.

Mm-hmm.

And with Ben Rice being so conscientious and sort of plugged in, he would put a lot of time and effort into that, and we can't wear him down physically the way catching would wear him down.

Because his bat is too important to this lineup.

And for what it's worth, I think they're right.

I mean, you look at what he has done in large part without Aaron Judge in that lineup, and now with Bellinger out, he's really carried them.

Like, I mean, I think you can make a really good case that he's, you know, an MVP type candidate based on- Mm-hmm what he's done for the Yankees this year.

Obviously, the numbers are there, but just the way he's held together a lineup that usually totally falls apart without Aaron Judge, you know, he's been kind of a force even without Judge.

So all of that is to say, I think they're protecting him.

I think they don't wanna risk injuring him, wearing him down, basically changing anything because they've found kind of a once in a lifetime hitter here in their system.

Yeah.

And I think that it's better to just kinda leave him where he is.

If you get to the off-season, it starts to make sense, and he can train for a full year of catching, great, but I would be surprised if Ben Rice catches many more games for the Yankees in his career.

Yeah, I agree.

They don't need I mean, they need the catching, but they don't need the catching bad enough to ruin possibly what Ben Rice has been doing.

So if you're the Yankees, what are you doing at the catching situation?

Is there anyone that sticks out to you that you wanna get at the trade deadline?

You know, I know everyone talks about Ryan Jeffers from the Twins.

I know we've heard the Twins in the last few days say, you know, "We're not selling, we're buying."

You know, I, I don't know if that means you can't do a Jeffers deal.

I think if you give him enough, you know, we've seen the Phillies make deals where, or sorry, the T- the Ph- Twins made some deals with the Phillies where they got major league pitching last year.

Could you convince them to part with Jeffers for, like, a Will Warren or someone who helps them this year?

Maybe.

So I don't know that that's totally out of the question.

But if it's not him, then it, then you start to get into sort of the, the backup realm.

The Mets obviously have two catchers.

They have one Luis Torrens, who was on the Yankees.

I th- it would take a lot in my mind for the Mets to make that move with the Yankees.

A, because, you know, it's the Yankees.

And 2, B, I guess one, two, AB, because he's under contract at a really good price for the next few years, and they need him.

So I don't know if he's a fit there, but I think you start getting into that kind of tier.

Could the Nationals trade, like, a Keibert Ruiz to them?

I don't know if he's super appealing to the Yankees, but they do have Harry Ford there.

I think you just start kind of mining, you know, the backups or the, the lesser, yeah, the, the least, the less talked about guys, and see where that gets you.

But I don't know.

I, it's hard for me to rule out Jeffers after all the chatter we've heard.

You know, I think there's probably a way you can get Minnesota to do that, even if they're not, quote unquote, "selling."

But if not, you know, look at teams who are kind of falling out of the race, the Marlins- the Reds, and s- and see what you can get from, from what they have behind the plate.

Yeah.

Let's go back to the depth conversation quickly, 'cause we have a question on Oswaldo Cabrera, which is always a guy that's kind of in the mix of the Yankees for the past few years now.

@KingPink said, "What happened with Oswaldo Cabrera?

Was supposed to be the Yankees super utility guy, but has been stuck in the minors in a season where they really could use him."

It's really interesting.

I, I looked him up a few days ago, 'cause I was wondering this too, kind of where he fell.

Mm-hmm.

And his numbers aren't bad offensively.

Mm-mm.

So I think frankly, they just haven't had a spot where they felt he was useful.

I think Schuman in the outfield has been kind of, or in, just in general as a utility guy- Mm-hmm has been a, a bit of a revelation.

That's probably the s- the answer, right?

Is that he's just hit better and given them better at bats than, than maybe they thought, and that has kind of held Cabrera at bay.

Maybe we've seen him before if, if Schuman hasn't been that good.

So I think it might be that simple.

I think there just hasn't been room.

And, and given the choice between, like, Cabrera and Dominguez- or Jones offensively, I think Dominguez and Jones just have so much higher upside.

It all kinda makes sense, but it is kinda like, huh, that guy was really useful and he's- Mm-hmm doing all right down there, and, and maybe there is a world, you know, especially with all the injuries, where you see him again this year.

But yeah, kind of has disappeared, but I don't think by any fault of his own.

Yeah.

And I just think their infield has so many people, and now they bring up Lombard.

Right.

They don't need another guy to come up.

But it'll be interesting what happens with the trade deadline less than a week away.

So that's coming up Monday, August 3rd at 6:00 PM.

The Yankees still trailing the Rays in the AL East by just a game and a half, so we'll be on the lookout for any moves they might make to shake up their roster in the second half.

Chelsea, of course, has you covered with all things trade deadline.

So thank you guys so much for watching this episode of Yankees Mailbag.

Remember, you can submit your questions on Facebook, Instagram, X, or if you're watching on YouTube, you can drop it down in the comments.

For Chelsea James, I'm Nikki Lanouette.

We'll see you back here next time.