The Yankees may be sitting on a 4.5-game cushion over the Red Sox in the American League Wild Card race, but the bigger battle could come at the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Shortstop has been a clear area of focus for New York for months, especially with Anthony Volpe slipping out of favor. Through 47 games this season, the veteran infielder is hitting .245 with one home run and 14 RBI.
Now the Red Sox are being linked to the same market, and that only complicates things for the Yankees. Boston, riding a historic 14-game winning streak, is reportedly looking for help at shortstop while Trevor Story remains on the injured list after sports hernia surgery.
“There’s some others out there, at least names being tossed around, that would make a lot of sense for the Red Sox. And shortstop is a position I think of import to them and of focus to them,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan said Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show.
Passan also pointed to two possible targets: “There’s an opportunity to go out and potentially get Jeremy Pena from the Houston Astros and even CJ Abrams, who’s had a great year but probably not a shortstop long term, could be had as well,” Passan added.
“And I think the Red Sox are going to try to be aggressive. And I don’t blame them,” Passan noted.
“When you win 14 games in a row like this. When you rescue your season from the depth and the doldrums where they were for the first 80-something games, you just have to go and do it.”
For the Yankees, that’s not exactly welcome news. Abrams has been viewed as the best shortstop available on the market, and the numbers back that up. The two-time All-Star leads all MLB shortstops with a .892 OPS and is tied with the Chicago White Sox’s Colson Montgomery for the most home runs by a shortstop this season with 24.
But Washington may not be eager to move him. The Nationals are 51-51 and only 1.5 games out in the NL Wild Card standings, which gives them a reason to stay in the race.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported Tuesday that “The Nationals dangled Abrams over the winter, but no one came close to stepping up and making a bid to pry him away. It may be no different this time around.”
Abrams, 25, still has two more seasons of arbitration eligibility, so Washington controls him through 2028.
That control is part of why ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel wrote Tuesday that there is only a 25% chance the Nationals trade him. They listed the Yankees, Red Sox, Braves, Rays, and Blue Jays as the best fits if Washington decides to deal.
FanSided’s Robert Murray added Tuesday that “Teams will inquire on CJ Abrams to see what it takes to pry the star shortstop out of Washington.”
Whatever happens, the deadline picture in the AL East is getting crowded fast. And when the Yankees and Red Sox meet again on Aug. 28, both clubs could look very different.
In Other News...
Yankees Shortstop Drama Just Took A Frustrating New Turn
The Yankees shortstop situation keeps circling back to the same uncomfortable theme: they still do not have a clean answer, and the debate has drifted well beyond simple production. Jos Caballeros arrival has added a different kind of energy to the conversation, while Anthony Volpes uneven play has only sharpened the scrutiny on a position that should bring stability, not more questions.
What makes it more frustrating from the Yankees side is how much the issue has become about tone and accountability as much as talent. Under Aaron Boone, the club has too often looked willing to absorb sloppy fundamentals and mental mistakes without enough correction, and that leaves the shortstop discussion feeling less like a competition for a job and more like another reminder that the Yankees are still searching for a consistent, winning answer. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Suddenly Linked To A Young Shortstop Fans Will Debate Fast
The Yankees are once again being mentioned in the kind of trade chatter that tends to follow a contending club with a clear need and a front office willing to explore the market. ESPNs Jeff Passan has pointed to a young shortstop as the sort of player who could draw real interest from teams looking to upgrade up the middle, and New York is among the clubs viewed as a natural fit. The appeal is obvious: a player who has already shown he can help at the plate and on the bases, while still carrying the age and control window that make him more than a short-term rental.
What makes this conversation more interesting is the balance between upside and fit. Over the past three seasons, the shortstop in question has put together a productive offensive profile and added value with his legs, but evaluators have also had to weigh concerns about his range at a premium defensive spot. For the Yankees, that is the kind of trade-off that can spark a debate quickly, especially if the asking price climbs and the market starts to narrow around a few contenders. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Be Sending A Quiet Message About Anthony Volpe
Anthony Volpes place in the Yankees infield picture has looked a little less secure lately, and the timing only adds to the sense that the club is weighing bigger decisions ahead of the trade deadline. With shortstop and outfield help both on the radar, the Yankees are clearly keeping their options open as they try to sharpen the roster for the stretch run.
George Lombard Jr. is part of that conversation, too, which is why this feels like more than a simple midseason shuffle. The organizations willingness to think about the position now suggests Volpes role is being viewed through a different lens than it was earlier in the year, and the next move at shortstop could say plenty about how the Yankees see their present and their future. [Read more 🡒]