With the trade deadline closing in and Aug. 3 looming, the Yankees are doing what they usually do at this time of year: shopping as buyers. A right-handed-hitting outfield bat, a catcher and bullpen help are all on the radar.
That last item has been a familiar headache for New York, and ESPN suggested the club may already have another answer in-house. The name to watch is Clarke Schmidt, whose return from Tommy John surgery is starting to feel real.
Schmidt, 30, has not pitched since 2025 after undergoing the operation last July. His last season on the mound ended with a 4-4 record in 14 starts before he left a July 3 outing against Toronto with forearm soreness.
He had been dealing with tightness in the area since June 4, and after an MRI the next day, the Yankees placed him on the 15-day injured list. Surgery followed on July 11.
This week brought a meaningful step forward. Schmidt faced hitters in live batting practice for the first time since the procedure, and the session lasted 15 pitches. It was a controlled test, but an important one as he works his way back toward game action.
“The initial feeling is of excitement - not a full game feeling with the butterflies and stuff like that but close to it,” Schmidt said via MLB.com.
He hit 95 mph with his fastball during the workout. While he has been throwing breaking balls during rehab, the Yankees limited him to a four-seamer, sinker and cutter in this session. Breaking pitches are expected to be added next time.
There is still one wrinkle if the Yankees want to view Schmidt as more than a starter: he has not been used out of the bullpen regularly since 2022. Since then, 62 of his last 63 appearances with the Yankees have come as a starter.
But that earlier stretch in relief was productive. In 2022, he made 29 appearances, 26 of them out of the bullpen, and posted a 5-3 record with a 2.74 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 46 innings.
As deadline chatter ramps up, names like Mason Miller, Brett Suter and a group of Mets relievers - A.J. Minter, Brooks Raley, Luke Weaver and perhaps more - will be in the mix for the Yankees. Still, Schmidt’s progress gives them a potentially valuable internal option, and a veteran arm that could help cover a glaring need.
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Yankees Deadline Push Now Hinges On One Catching Upgrade
The Yankees are still trying to make one more meaningful move before the deadline, and the most interesting part of their search has centered on catcher. They want a right-handed bat behind the plate, a sensible fit for a roster that is already being pushed toward added bullpen help and another right-handed hitter elsewhere, and they have not been shy about working the market with that kind of urgency.
Tyler Stephenson, Adley Rutschman and Ryan Jeffers have all come up as possible answers, which shows how broad the search has become and how competitive the market is likely to be. For a club intent on upgrading in more than one spot, the catching pursuit may end up shaping how the rest of the deadline unfolds, especially if the front office has to decide how far it wants to go to land the right fit. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Have A Trade Answer For Their Injury Hit Lineup
The Yankees lineup has been strained by the injuries to Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger, and the front office has been doing what it can to survey a thin trade market for help. Catchers and infielders are scarce in particular, which makes the search more difficult and pushes the conversation toward whatever productive bats might actually become available before the deadline.
One name worth watching is Randy Arozarena, a player the Yankees know well enough to appreciate as a possible fit in a lineup looking for more punch. The Seattle outfielder has put together strong offensive numbers this season, and his situation could make him one of the more interesting names to track if New York decides it needs to act on the market rather than wait for reinforcements from within. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Fans Just Got A Yankees Trade Twist To Process
The Yankees are adding another wrinkle to their infield and batting-order picture, with ESPNs Jeff Passan reporting they are reportedly trading for Nationals first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. It is the kind of move that immediately invites lineup speculation because Garcia gives New York another capable left-handed bat, and any extra offense around the middle of the order tends to matter in October-minded planning.
But the fit is not as simple as just slotting in one more name and moving on. Garcias arrival adds depth, yet it also brings a real juggling act for the Yankees as they try to sort out playing time and keep the lineup balanced without creating unnecessary friction on the bench. The upside is obvious, but the next question is how New York makes all of the pieces work once everyone is actually in the mix. [Read more 🡒]