Insider Hints Yankees Could Look to Make These Additions at Trade Deadline

The Yankees are looking to revamp a few positions as they make an all-in push for 2024.

Jun 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees first baseman DJ LeMahieu (26) stops a line drive down the first base line against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees could give their infield a makeover.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic confirmed that the Yankees are looking to upgrade the infield, particularly at the corners, and have been looking for options even before first baseman Anthony Rizzo sustained a fractured right arm. While they did call up prospect Ben Rice to replace Rizzo as of now, Rosenthal still expects the Bronx Bombers to continue their search.

"Even before Rizzo got hurt, the corner infield situation is one that [the Yankees] were going to be looking at, and there's not much question that will continue," Rosenthal said on Foul Territory. "It's not clear exactly what they will do or should do; they could go first, they could go third, but I don't know if they're going to act on a second baseman... it's the corners that are more problematic right now."

How will the @Yankees replace Anthony Rizzo, who is out for 4-6 weeks with a fractured arm?@Ken_Rosenthal notes the report from @Joelsherman1 that rookie Ben Rice is getting the call to The Show ⬆️ pic.twitter.com/qkqVFiPLX7

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 18, 2024

Currently, the Yankees' infield consists of Anthony Volpe and Gleyber Torres up the middle at shortstop and second base, respectively, while DJ LeMahieu will be alternating between first base and third base with Rice and Oswaldo Cabrera, respectively. Volpe is the unquestioned shortstop, and despite inconsistency from Torres, his role at second is considered secure as well.

Regarding LeMahieu, he has gotten off to a slow start after missing the first two months of the season, hitting just .188 with no extra-base hits in 15 games. As for Cabrera, he got off to a scorching hot start but has since cooled down considerably, with just a .625 OPS; due to his own positional versatility, he seems to be better off as a superutility option.

Even with Rice's call-up, New York has several first base options to look at; this includes Paul Goldschmidt, Christian Walker, and Josh Bell, all of whom are set to become free agents after the season. However, Goldschmidt and Walker may not be available due to the NL Wild Card race, and Bell has been performing rather poorly with a 92 wRC+ and -0.3 fWAR. Pete Alonso was never a serious option due to the Subway Series rivalry, but any chance to get him now is completely gone due to the Mets re-entering the playoff race.

As for third base, New York can look at Alex Bregman, Eugenio Suarez, Nolan Arenado, and Ryan McMahon. However, these options seem even less likely.

Although ESPN insider Jeff Passan acknowledged that McMahon would be a great fit, he believes the Rockies aren't willing to trade him away. Suarez and Arenado are in the same situations as Goldschmidt and Walker, and Arenado also has a massive contract to take on if he were to be traded. Finally, the Astros have insisted on buying at the deadline, and due to their intense rivalry with the Yankees, any possible trade for Bregman is a pipe dream.

Nonetheless, 2024 is an all-in year for the Bronx Bombers, so none of these options (except Alonso and Bregman) are completely impossible, especially if they provide enticing offers. The Yankees are still one of the strongest teams in the league with what they currently have in the infield, and while there are other areas they can improve (such as the bullpen), strengthening the corner infield spots should help their World Series push.