If the Yankees really are about to push all their chips in at the 2026 trade deadline, the 40-man roster is going to take a hit. Big moves mean hard choices, and Brian Cashman could be staring at a list of players who suddenly become expendable if New York decides this is the moment to load up.
That kind of deadline swing would make sense for a club that believes Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are coming back and still sees this season as alive. It also fits the Yankees’ own “ran it back” approach in 2026, built on the idea that the 2025 group was worth trusting again.
Add in the looming lockout that will shake up the offseason and the start of 2027, plus the reality that Judge and Gerrit Cole only have a few prime years left, and the argument for going all in gets louder. With the AL wide open, there’s no reason to sit on the fence if the goal is another shot at the Dodgers or another National League heavyweight.
So what does that kind of deadline look like? A roster with a very different shape by Aug. 4, and maybe a few familiar names on the move.
Jake Bird is first on the list, and the situation is pretty plain: he’s not working out. The Yankees probably won’t DFA him, but another team could still see value in his team control if Cashman needs to clear space.
Ali Sanchez looks like the kind of roster casualty that comes with a more aggressive deadline. In the ideal version of things, Austin Wells is the backup and the Yankees add a starting-caliber right-handed bat such as Shea Langeliers or Hunter Goodman to deepen the lineup. If that happens, Sanchez becomes the easy cut.
Yerry De Los Santos fits the description of bullpen filler in a bullpen that already has too much of it. He’s near the bottom of the pecking order, and keeping him on the 40-man roster starts to feel unnecessary. Still, the Yankees could also use him to chew up innings over the final stretch.
Brendan Beck has gotten a few turns as a spot starter and long reliever this year, and that role could continue because of the Yankees’ rotation depth and their need for more swing and miss in the bullpen. Another club might be able to offer him a bigger opportunity, especially with Beck performing well at Triple-A and already 27 years old.
Chase Hampton could also be part of a larger deal. He remains one of the Yankees’ top prospects, even with some struggles in his first action since Tommy John surgery, and pitching prospects like him can become trade currency when a team is chasing immediate help.
Luis Gil is another name that could be on the outside looking in. He’s injured, hasn’t pitched since 4/26 after being optioned to the minors, and even before that layoff the Yankees didn’t seem fully sold on him as they leaned toward options they believed were more effective. He won’t bring back a huge return, but the 2024 Rookie of the Year could still draw interest.
Elmer Rodriguez stands out as one of the more usable trade chips. With plenty of starting pitching already in the organization at both the major league level and in the farm system, he looks like the kind of big-league-ready arm the Yankees should move while his value is still strong.
Amed Rosario has had a rough year defensively and could get squeezed if the Yankees add another infielder. He’s only had 18 at-bats this month, which makes the possibility of a roster move feel even more real.
Ryan Yarbrough is in a tricky spot too, especially with Paul Blackburn winning that battle. Yarbrough’s 3.86 ERA in 39 2/3 innings gives him some value, and another team could use him as a back-end starter or long reliever. The Yankees, though, may eventually have better options for that role.
Spencer Jones remains one of the more complicated names here. The Yankees have already given him a couple chances this year and the results have been mixed.
The strikeout issues are still there, and the club may have missed its best window to cash in on his value. At this point, the choice seems to be live with the profile, trade him for pitching help, or use him in a prospect swap.
Jasson Dominguez is in a similar conversation, just with a different set of concerns. His defense hasn’t been strong, the power has faded, and injuries have slowed him down.
He can hit, no question, but he’s not delivering what the Yankees need right now. Another team with more patience might fit better, and while he wouldn’t headline a deal, he could be part of something meaningful.
Will Warren is another controllable arm who could appeal to other clubs, and he may also be pitching himself out of the Yankees’ plans. He appears to have been squeezed out of the rotation, and his first relief outing had some rough edges. He’s not the centerpiece, but he could help bring back something bigger.
Anthony Volpe might be the most striking name on the list. Like Rosario, he could get squeezed if the Yankees make the infield changes they seem to be chasing.
If a player like Zach Neto comes into the picture, Volpe should be gone. He has already become a backup option to Jose Caballero, and after everything since his 2023 rookie season, he may simply be better off starting over somewhere else.
The Yankees probably won’t make that call, but the relationship feels like it’s heading toward an ending, whether that comes on Aug. 3 or in the offseason.
In Other News...
Yankees May Have Found The Deadline Catcher This Lineup Desperately Needs
The Yankees search for help behind the plate has become one of the quieter but more obvious deadline storylines, with Austin Wells still searching for consistency and the rest of the catching mix offering little certainty. That is why the idea of adding a more established bat at catcher has started to make sense, especially for a club trying to squeeze more offense out of every spot in the lineup.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic floated Colorados Hunter Goodman as a name worth watching, and the fit is easy to see from New Yorks side because a move like that could ease the burden on Wells while giving the Yankees another middle-of-the-order option on days when the catcher is not behind the plate. The catch, of course, is that the Rockies are not likely to move a player with that kind of control lightly, which is why this remains one of those deadline ideas that feels intriguing now and complicated the moment the real negotiations begin. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Bullpen Hunt Just Took A Serious Turn
The Yankees search for bullpen help has moved well beyond the usual July window shopping. According to USA Todays Bob Nightengale, the club is also looking for a backup catcher and additional offense, but the most eye-catching part of the report is the level of relief arm they are chasing as the deadline approaches.
Mason Miller has been one of the most effective relievers in the game this season, and the appeal is obvious for a Yankees team trying to shorten games down the stretch. He is also under team control through 2029, which only raises the stakes for any deal, because getting him would almost certainly require a massive return and a front office willing to pay a steep price. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Have Quietly Found The Bullpen Help They Desperately Needed
When the Yankees signed Paul Blackburn to a one-year deal after his release from the Mets, it looked like the kind of low-risk move teams make to patch over a bullpen need. Instead, Blackburn has quietly turned into one of the steadier arms in Aaron Boones relief mix, putting up a 0.99 ERA over 36 1/3 innings since mid-May and giving the club a useful option in spots that matter most.
His turnaround has been tied to both a bump in velocity and a change in how he attacks hitters, which has helped him fit into the late-inning picture far better than expected. Boone has already noted how well Blackburn has handled high-leverage situations, and with the trade deadline approaching, the bigger question is whether this unexpected internal answer changes how aggressively the Yankees need to shop for bullpen help. [Read more 🡒]