Yankees Have an Easy Trade Deadline Fix for the Bullpen

Yankees Have an Easy Trade Deadline Fix for the Bullpen

The New York Yankees are enjoying a dominant season as one of Major League Baseball’s elite teams. While their starting rotation is locked down—thanks to Carlos Rodón and the return of Gerrit Cole—the pitching staff still has one clear area to address before the trade deadline: the bullpen.

Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller recently pointed out that while closer David Bednar has been dependable, the Yankees desperately need a high-quality setup man to support him.

“David Bednar has been solid enough at closer, but they would greatly benefit from a ‘set-up man who can close on occasion,'” Miller writes.

Why This is a Simple Fix

If the Yankees were searching for a rare asset, like a premier lefty specialist or an elite lockdown closer, a deadline deal would be difficult to pull off. However, their primary need is just middle-relief depth, which is always highly available on the summer trade market.

This upgrade is becoming increasingly necessary because:

• Current struggles: Relievers Camilo Doval and Jake Bird have underperformed this year.

• Internal options: The team could look inward by promoting prospect Carlos Lagrange or transitioning starter Ryan Weathers to a relief role for the stretch run.

Looking Ahead to the Trade Market

Ideally, New York will look outside the organization to find their setup man. Though it is still too early to know exactly which teams will be selling, Houston Astros reliever Bryan Abreu stands out as a potential target.

Ultimately, securing a secondary late-innings arm behind Bednar is the Yankees’ top priority. Fortunately for front office management, finding a capable middle reliever should be an easy box to check given the abundance of options expected to be available.