With the Yankees floundering and the trade deadline closing in, the conversation in New York is already split in two: who Brian Cashman should target, and who he’ll have to surrender to get it done. The second part of that equation is where the real clues live.
Cashman has shown his hand before. He likes to bundle together multiple mid-to-back-end prospects from his top 30 rather than peel off the crown jewels.
He also has a habit of clearing future 40-man clutter by moving Rule 5-eligible players who don’t have an obvious path to a roster spot. That was the story with Jesus Rodriguez in last year’s Camilo Doval deal, and it’s the kind of move that points toward a very specific group of prospects being available before Aug.
Five names stand out as the most likely trade chips because they’re Rule 5 eligible and close enough to being exposed this winter that the Yankees may prefer to cash them in now.
Kyle Carr fits the profile almost perfectly. The left-hander has boosted his stock with a strong run at Somerset and earned a promotion to Scranton, where he opened Triple-A play on July 5 by allowing no earned runs over 5 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts.
Carr looks like he could settle in as a No. 4 starter, and if that doesn’t happen, there’s still a lefty relief path that should appeal to plenty of rebuilding clubs. But he’s also buried behind a deeper group of pitching prospects, including Ben Hess, Bryce Cunningham, Chase Hampton, and others, and his first-time Rule 5 eligibility this winter makes him look like a player whose time in the organization could be short.
Jace Avina is another obvious sell-high candidate. The 23-year-old outfielder has broken out at Somerset, launching a career-best 16 homers in 65 games and showing far more power than he has since turning pro in 2022.
The jump looks real enough in the underlying numbers, but the bat-miss issues are still part of the package. His 30.9% whiff rate is a concern, and his 81.7% zone contact rate sits just below average.
Add in the fact that he’s Rule 5 eligible and blocked by Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez, with Marco Luciano also performing well in Scranton, and Avina looks like a classic case of a prospect who gets moved because there isn’t room for him.
Eric Reyzelman brings a different kind of appeal. The right-hander overmatched Double-A hitters with a 48.5% strikeout rate and started touching triple digits with his fastball for the first time in his career.
That swing-and-miss carried over after his move to Scranton, though the walks remain an issue. Even so, live-armed relievers with that kind of stuff tend to draw attention, especially when they’re Rule 5 eligible.
With several arms ahead of him in the Yankees’ system, Reyzelman looks like the sort of piece that could be added to push a deadline trade across the finish line.
Cade Smith belongs in a similar bucket. The 24-year-old right-hander doesn’t have the cleanest ERA line at Somerset, but the stuff is there, and so is the command trend.
The biggest blemish is a ridiculous 2.08 HR/9, yet the broader profile still suggests a pitcher with strikeout ability and improving control. Like Carr, though, he’s squeezed by the number of starting pitching prospects ahead of him, which makes him the kind of arm the Yankees can afford to move.
Henry Lalane is the one name here that doesn’t quite fit the same mold, but he still belongs in the conversation. The 22-year-old lefty was just promoted to High-A after dominating at Tampa with a 2.74 ERA and a 32.8% strikeout rate.
He’s intriguing, but he’s also far enough from the majors that he’s unlikely to be selected if left unprotected. At 6-foot-7, he’s a hard-throwing southpaw who can draw comparisons to Carlos Lagrange, though he doesn’t quite hit the same radar-gun heights.
Control problems and injuries have followed him earlier in his career, but his performance at Tampa pushed him up to No. 5 in Baseball America’s Yankees rankings, compared with No. 14 at MLB Pipeline. That kind of rise could make him a real talking point in trade talks, and the risk attached to him may make the Yankees more willing to use him as part of a bigger deal rather than risk losing other top names like George Lombard Jr. and Dax Kilby.
If New York lands a blockbuster, Lalane could wind up as the centerpiece.
In Other News...
Former Yankees Arm Is Suddenly Back In Trade Rumors
The Padres are once again drawing trade attention as the deadline approaches, and the possibility has a familiar Yankees angle attached to it. According to USA Todays Bob Nightengale and rival executives, San Diego could listen on right-handed starter Michael King if the club decides to move into sell-off mode, a sign that the roster picture may be shifting fast enough to put even established arms in play.
Kings appeal is obvious for any contender looking for rotation help, especially with a contract that runs through 2024 and includes player options beyond that. For the Yankees, who know him well from his time in the organization, the bigger question is whether San Diego actually follows through on a deal or simply keeps one of its more useful starters in place as the deadline nears. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Just Flipped A Yankees Problem Into Something More Annoying
Bostons latest move sent left-hander Connelly Early to Washington, a name Yankees fans know well from his work against them in last years Wild Card Game 3 and again this season. Early had been sidelined since June 30 with elbow issues, so the Red Sox were already dealing with a pitcher whose status had become part of their larger roster puzzle.
What makes the deal more interesting from the Yankees side is what Boston got back: Curtis Mead, whose first half included 17 home runs and a 135 OPS+. Even before you get to the lineup fit, the transaction adds another layer of uncertainty to how the Red Sox sort out second base, shortstop, designated hitter and left field, which is the kind of roster congestion that can shape what comes next in the division. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Be Eyeing A Bigger Deadline Bat Than Expected
The Yankees are still looking for offense ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline, and the latest name to surface is one that would signal a bigger swing than a typical rental bat. Washingtons shortstop situation has drawn New Yorks attention as the club keeps searching for ways to lengthen the lineup, even if the fit would come with more moving parts than a straight plug-and-play addition.
The Nationals are not actively shopping, but they are willing to listen if a serious offer comes along, and they have every reason to ask for a premium with the team still in the playoff mix. Any real pursuit would force the Yankees to weigh a complicated package and the ripple effects on their infield alignment, which is part of why this remains more intriguing than simple at this stage. [Read more 🡒]