Insider Suggests Yankees Target These Intriguing Names to Fill Holes at Deadline
![Nov 7, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman speaks to the media during the MLB General Manager's Meetings at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Nov 7, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman speaks to the media during the MLB General Manager's Meetings at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5483,h_3084,x_0,y_135/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_pinstripes/01j3jmxnkx8epe9wxan7.jpg)
The New York Yankees must fill a number of holes with the trade deadline merely six days away, which is a tough task.
But there is a certain strategy, where GM Brian Cashman can bring in several reinforcements to help boost a roster with various defects.
As MLB insider Joel Sherman of The New York Post suggested, the Yankees can look towards adding complementary pieces such as Tampa Bay Rays' position players: second baseman Brandon Lowe and versatile utility man Amed Rosario. Sherman believes this blueprint would allow Cashman to focus on investing in a high-leverage reliever such as Miami Marlins lefty closer Tanner Scott.
Although the Rays are an AL East rival, they appear to be open for business as the July 30 deadline date approaches in less than a week.
Lowe has a club option for 2025, which provides insurance at second base for next season if the struggling Gleyber Torres departs from the Bronx in free agency. The lefty swinger has 11 home runs and a .811 OPS in 53 games.
The Yankees showed interest in signing Rosario in the offseason, who is slashing .309/.332/.415 with a .747 OPS in 71 games with the Rays. He has also been red-hot over the past month with a .352/.389/.443 slash line in this span. The 28-year-old was once a top prospect for the cross-town rival Mets, but was shipped out in the blockbuster trade that sent Francisco Lindor to Queens ahead of the 2021 campaign. Rosario's bat would be an upgrade at third base or in left field, but he is a negative defender. He will be a free agent after the 2024 season concludes.
As for Scott, he is in high-demand, as multiple contenders could use his services for the stretch run. Acquiring the veteran closer, who is a rental, is unlikely to require the Yankees giving up a Spencer Jones or Jasson Dominguez. And Dominguez could be an option to fill the team's hole in left field once he is healthy in the near future. Scott would uplift a struggling Yankee bullpen, and this is a realistic area the team could be more aggressive in as the trade market heats up in the next few days.