Aaron Judge’s right flexor strain continues to be the overarching story impacting the Yankees’ business on and off the field as the trade deadline approaches. Manager Aaron Boone provided some more details on Judge’s status in an interview with Jomboy Media’s “Talkin’ Yanks” podcast (link to X) today, saying that Judge is slated to start hitting off a tee no later than tomorrow. It will still be 10-15 more days before Judge is able to throw, however, keeping with the initial expectation that Judge will be limited to DH duty when he is able to return to New York’s lineup.
Judge received a PRP injection in order to help the healing process, and if he is able to swing without discomfort, that should allow him to get back into the field at least as a designated hitter. It’s a good sign that Judge is already set to take some swings, though there won’t be many sighs of relief in the Bronx until Judge is officially back from the 10-day IL, and perhaps not until he is able to take his regular spot back in right field. The longer Judge is DH-locked, the longer Giancarlo Stanton will have to play the outfield, which is itself a roll of the dice considering Stanton’s lengthy injury history.
The ripple effect of Judge’s injury can’t be understated, as the superstar’s absence adds to the recent misery for a Yankees team that is 15-24 over its last 39 games. While the Yankees are 57-49 and remain the AL’s top wild card team, SNY’s Andy Martino reported yesterday that the club was considering selling some talent at the deadline if Judge’s elbow issue had proved to be season-ending. Following up on that report, Martino adds that the Yankees floated Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt in talks with at least one team. Goldschmidt is an impending free agent, and Bellinger can opt out of his $25MM player option for 2026 and enter the open market as well following the season.
This could just be due diligence and an example of how front offices tend to prepare for any scenario, as Martino again stressed that it is quite unlikely that the Bronx Bombers will be anything but deadline buyers. New York has already been busy on the trade front in adding Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario, and remain linked to multiple other players on the rumor mill.
Austin Slater is the latest name in the mix, as ESPN’s Buster Olney lists Slater as one of the right-handed hitting outfielders on the Bombers’ list of possible targets. The veteran outfielder is hitting .244/.308/.437 over 131 plate appearances for the White Sox this season, with an .897 OPS in 74 PA against left-handed pitching.
A right meniscus tear shelved Slater for about five weeks earlier this season, but has looked good since returning in May. Slater is one of the more inexpensive rentals on the market, as he has only around $580K remaining on his $1.75MM salary for the 2025 campaign. He’d fit into any team’s budget at that number, so plenty of teams beyond just the Yankees figure to be checking in with the White Sox.
As Martino noted, the Yankees may be more apt to make modest deadline upgrades than to swing any real headline-grabbing trades. If the club did do something a little more consequential like move a highly-touted prospect, Cam Schlittler might be a player to watch, as MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch writes that the right-hander “is rumored to be near the top of several wish lists” from rival teams.
Schlittler is just three starts into his big league career, with a 4.91 ERA over his 14 2/3 inning in the Show. His 13.2% walk rate and three home runs allowed are signs of growing pains, but Schlittler has posted very good numbers in the minors since being a seventh-round pick for New York in the 2022 draft. Offering a big league-ready young starter can open the door in many trade talks, yet given how the Yankees are themselves stretched for rotation depth, they might well see the value in keeping Schlittler for the rest of the 2025 stretch run, let alone for the future.
Bellinger to the Pads on some sort of creative deal would be insane.
An outfield of Bellinger, Merril and Tatis.
Whoa!
Yankees eat most of his salary and Pads send Devries, Bergert, Suarez and another piece back.
Insane is exactly the right word
Gonna pretend I didn’t read this
Oh ffs. NO.
You are out of your freaking mind Tow.
Maybe, but it’s a blast.
It’s MLBtraderumors.
Gotta have fun with some wild ideas.
and you just keep doing you, Tow
Eat most of his salary for what??
Yankees would pay all of his salary for that package (even if it was just DeVries).
Perhaps Stanton’s injury history isn’t the only worry in his return to the outfield…
they should put him in yankee stadium’s cavernous left field just for the comedy
Just what they need, another outfielder….bravo Yankees management…..bravo 🍻
If Judge has to DH the rest of the year (very real possibility) they’re going to need someone to replace him in the outfield.
Bring up Jones or Pereira. No need to trade for an outfielder.
Pereira sucks. We don’t know what Jones has and a couple of days before the deadline (after which they are stuck with who they got) ain’t the time to find out. Jones can be called up in September. Besides, he’s not on the 40 man yet.
You would trade for slater?
If you want someone that has MLB experience, bring up Bryan de la Cruz, he literally has better MLB numbers than Austin slater. What a joke.
I don’t think they would need to give more than a lotto ticket on Slater. Not that I’m advocating for him specifically. There’s a good chance they will have to get somebody and I’m no higher on de la Cruz than I am on Pereira.
We’ll just have to agree to disagree. I say bring up jones. He has far superior numbers than any of the young players they’ve brought up in the past 4 years. He deserves a shot. You can’t say definitively that the scrubs that have been tossed around as a stop gap are better than him. I doubt slater was ripping 445 foot bombs in AAA. Internally neither was volpe or wells. Dominguez is just not ready, they should really send him down, to platoon such a highly touted young player just inhibits his development. Keep Bellinger (extend him, let him play 1b), trade Goldschmidt and grisham for whatever you can get, I would even look to trade Stanton and retain 99% of his salary (I know that’s a prayer, and I would trade him for a bag of doughnuts).
You’d let Stanton go when he shoulders the offensive burden in every playoff series? You def want Stanton on the Yankees lineup during the playoffs.
Jones strikes out too much in AAA. He’d be overwhelmed in MLB.
The fact that he’s going to be swinging off a tee as soon as tomorrow suggests the possibility of him returning to the field sooner.
It’s a nice thought YBC, but I’ve seen too much of the Yankees mismanaging injuries to get very optimistic.
Find the Foul Territory clip on YouTube from yesterday talking about Judge’s injury and you will probably be a bit worried as well.
Which means they don’t trust Dominguez as an every day outfielder. They haven’t hesitated much playing grisham vs lhp
The Yankees (Cashman) building a roster is like a blind person describing abstract art….
And Boone should be immediately fired for leaving Judge in the OF with a hurt elbow, among all the other managerial problems he has.
This team is not set up to win in postseason play. Cashman has had ample opportunities to build and rebuild this team, and has never been able to replicate his inherited 90s roster.
And you should be jettisoned to some easily targeted Nuclear site in Iran.
Thank you?
I would be shocked if the Yankees traded Bellinger.
Slightly less if the traded Goldschmidt, but only if that was accompanied by an announcement that the plan was to get Judge ready to play 1b for the rest of the season.
The Yankees are currently in the 1st WC spot, it’s unimaginable to be that they would sell.
They need both of those guys. It would make no sense to acquire McMahon and Rosario if they were getting traded. Their salaries aren’t cheap so the Yankees wouldn’t get back significant pieces for two rentals. And it would make even less sense to pay down their salaries in a trade.
It would make sense to pay down their salaries if it means getting prospects back. Yankees need to sell. Theres no trade theyre willing to make that will net them a ring so why not nut up and sell for once
They’re not selling one game up in a WC spot. Too much money for Hal to lose down the stretch to wave the white flag now. It’s a moot point just like Boone and/or Cashman getting fired.
For 300 million dollars theyre up one game in the WC race? Yeah bro i’d hope so. Something about the 3rd highest payroll guarantees a certain amount of regular season wins. How youre still impressed by that and think they shouldnt sell is kinda funny. They still have 0 hope for a ring because every time they see a good team they get molly whopped.
Firing Boone for bad on field managerial skills and firing Cashman for mismanaging 300 million YEARLY is not a moot point lmao Admitting this team isnt enough and addressing problem areas isnt a moot point.
Cashman’s Yankees haven’t had a losing season in his 26 years as GM. They’ve missed the playoffs only 5 times. 21 seasons in the playoffs is really good, but go on with your salary rant if you must.
I’m not impressed with their current standings nor do I don’t think any fans are. I also understand that the Yankees are a multi-billion dollar business first. You have every right to be dissatisfied of course.
Right, and the millions more that would be lost on empty seats in August and September….
And let’s not forget that the Yankees have been an extremely profitable team under Cashman’s watch..
Mad Hatter,
For 300M yearly (or simply a top 3 payroll every yesr for 26 years) its pretty easy to not have a losing season. Its not a bragging point.
Poisoned,
Is that how youre coping? By going oh it doesnt matter the team is buns for how much is being spent on it, Cashmans making profit! (a profit that doesnt even effect you, mind you)
Bleacher,
Sure, but I dont think selling off on one deadline would single handedly ruin a multi-billion dollar business. I’d argue itd be better in the long run to move contracts that are inflating payroll and build a better team for the future that can win a champions which further maintains the brand that theyre still profiting off of. The Yankees not actually winning rings is likely why Hal has publicly said that this payroll is not sustainable and why he is indirectly in favor of a salary cap
That’s a great take.
Yanks need to resign Bellinger due to his versatility and production.
they will not and should not sell
it’s such a seller’s market that i could see an insane flurry of deals in the last 6 hours as sellers finally settle for the best offer
Mom you’re this close to being banished, get your bags packed the Enchanted Kingdom, you’ll fit right in. Ahahahahahaha!
schlittler is really intriguing. he throws 99-100 mph with no visible effort but to the eye his fastball is straight as an arrow. his first start feels like a template for him: mostly dominates but gives up 2 tape-measure home runs. last night’s start was better than it looks in the box score he was seriously squeezed by the home plate ump and defensive lapses messed with his pitch count. it would sting if they traded him but i’m in the “go all-in during the judge window” camp so whatever it takes
Really hope they don’t deal Schlittler. He really looks like a solid starter. Looking poised and dealing at 99 MPH. He did have a couple mistakes that resulted in 2 run HR’s, but I like his future. Just lesser deals for relievers like Coulombe and hope Gil comes back to his first half of last year form.
Wouldn’t mind the yankees trading Stanton to the brewers for churio and yelich maybe even the brewers eat the both contracts as well?
Spoken like a true… Cubs fan. Haha
Trading an outfielder and goldschmidt would seem to be logical moves. With jones pushing his way up bsomething has to give. Dominguez isn’t as good as grisham right now but grish is gone after the season. It makes sense for one to be moved for an appropriate return.
trust me when i say you do NOT want ben rice playing first base in a playoff game
Maybe not this year anyway, but goldy has become a noyhing at the plate vs rhp and we aren’t ready to every day rice there. Depending how this elbow stuff shakes out it may now be judge’s future to play 1B. If we use goldy in a strict platoon role, and also relieving rice late in games for defense I’d keep him.
yeah it’s been sad to watch goldy’s regression and in a perfect world he would never face another rightie but his defense has been critical. as we saw last fall poor infield defense always seems to bite teams in the postseason. bat him 7th against righties and cross your fingers then let bellinger or judge take over first in 2026
Bro 242/288/327 is borderline unplayable at 1B. If that’s your elite glove SS or CF maybe. If it’s not Rice there then they may need to look at rentals.
it’s been ugly watching him against righties but the yankees defer to veterans and they’re probably hoping he replicates his strong 2nd half from last year. rice will get reps at first but if they get to the postseason goldschmidt will start every game
Trade Schlittler before he turns into a pumpkin.
the labor situation might wipe out 2026 and judge is not getting any younger. like most yankee fans i don’t see them having the parts to win a title but they won’t sell when they currently hold a playoff spot
dasit:
The CBA expires after 2026. 2026 won’t be impacted.
2027 dasit, but carry on.
2027? how did i get that wrong?
in that case SELL EVERYONE 😉
Schlittler, Slater and Goldschmidt law firm
Bring up Spencer Jones and platoon him with the Martian who by the way is only a fourth outfielder anyways
Rice would be quite a trade piece. maybe you get Gore back in a deal. Might require a couple more pieces but Could be framework.
just looked up ‘Trade Values’ on other site. Forget the thought.Gore would require Rice, Jones, Cunningham and still be the value of Jones short. Way too much to pursue
Resist the urge, Cashman, to do the usual–spend prospect talent on either older players on expiring contracts who add little before being injured, or spending prospect talent on older players who are on expensive longer-term contracts who add little before being injured besides sub-par performance. If you manage those two, you wont mess things up. You won’t do much…but that’s good, given your track record..
Forget these mid outfielders and let’s just give Jones a taste and see how he does. He’s the one prospect right now I want to see. I think he might have IT.
And in no certain condition do you trade Bellinger. Move Goldschimdt if you can for a BP or SP piece and put Belli at 1st.
“no later than tomorrow“
Boonedoggle speak.