Should New York Yankees Consider Becoming Sellers This Season?

Selling might be in the best interest of the New York Yankees this year.

Aug 23, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talks with the media before the game between the Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Yankee Stadium / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Every year the New York Yankees take the field, it's championship or bust.

That's the type of standard that has been established by the winningest franchise in North American sports history.

But circumstances change, and the Yankees are facing an existential one at the moment.

Already without Gerrit Cole for the entire 2025 campaign, Giancarlo Stanton is out indefinitely and could be joining the ace on the season-long shelf. Reigning AL Rookie of the Year winner Luis Gil has been shut down with a lat injury and has a return date of roughly the summer. DJ LeMahieu is missing Opening Day with a calf strain. And multiple bullpen arms are already banged up.

That's not how anyone envisioned this team entering the season after they reached the World Series last year and improved their overall roster.

Because of that, there is a real possibility the Yankees have a season to forget.

Nobody wants to hear that, and they should not go into Opening Day with those expectations since this roster still has plenty of talent to compete at the highest level. But it's also not a given that everyone else is going to stay healthy, either.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. has dealt with injuries his entire career, and last year was the first time he's played over 100 games since 2021, which was his previous high of 124 contests before he got into 147 last season.

Devin Williams dealt with a back issue in 2024 that limited him to just 22 outings. And the fact it was two stress fractures could be something that rears its head at some point again.

Then there's Aaron Judge and his toe, an injury that he stated would be something he'll have to deal with for the rest of his career. After playing 158 regular season games and being a featured part of a deep playoff run, there has been a lot of mileage put on his body.

Point all of that out isn't to be pessimistic, but it's to list the range of possibilities that could become present if things reach the worst-case scenario.

Good front offices have to be prepared for all scenarios, and that should also include becoming sellers if they are out of the running ahead of the trade deadline.

They have a few attractive contracts that could be moved to recoup assets.

First, some of the one-year deals they have feature notable players.

While Paul Goldschmidt is not the MVP-caliber slugger he once was, a half-season rental could be enticing if his performance at the plate improves. Williams is also hitting free agency after the year, so shipping him to a bullpen-needy contender could get back a solid prospect or two. Same situation with Luke Weaver, a versatile reliever who could generate interest.

When looking at some more aggressive potential sells, Chisholm, Cody Bellinger and Marcus Stroman should all be considered.

Since Chisholm is the youngest of the three and has incredible defensive versatility across both the infield and outfield, the fact he has another year of club control remaining in 2026 could cause other teams around the league to put together a strong package if New York is willing to deal him.

As for Bellinger and Stroman, their contracts make them less attractive, but contenders are always looking for veteran additions who can hit for power and average like Bellinger and pitch strong innings when healthy like Stroman.

All of these potential moves is something the Yankees should consider if they're out of the playoff picture come the trade deadline.

There's no shame in being smart when the situation calls for it, and that would be the reality if the worst-case scenario comes to fruition for New York and they are on the outside looking in when it comes to their postseason outlook.

Accepting that this could be a bridge year would do the Yankees good in the long run if it gets to that point.

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