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Yankees Prioritizing Pitching, Also Searching For Infield Help

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The Yankees’ needs as the trade deadline looms aren’t exactly a well-kept secret. Gerrit Cole had Tommy John surgery before the season. Clarke Schmidt looks headed for the same fate. Luis Gil still hasn’t pitched due to a lat strain, and Ryan Yarbrough landed on the injured list late last month as well. DJ LeMahieu was released this morning in the wake of Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s move back to second base. Half a bullpen’s worth of relievers are on the injured list.

Given that slate of injuries and poor performance, it’s not a surprise that general manager Brian Cashman made clear when addressing the media yesterday that he plans to pursue upgrades in the rotation, in the bullpen and in the infield (link via Brendan Kuty of The Athletic). Pitching was highlighted as a particular focus.

“Whether it’s bullpen guys or starting pitchers, it’s just all of it,” said the GM. “That’s the area. We have people that are capable, but I think it also needs to get some help.”

Yankees starters rank eighth in the majors with a collective 3.69 ERA, but that includes 78 2/3 innings of 3.32 ERA ball from Schmidt, whose season is very likely over. It also includes 40 innings of 3.83 ERA ball from Yarbrough, who’s on the shelf due to an oblique strain. The Yankees have gotten terrific performances from high-profile free agent additions Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, but rookie Will Warren has a 4.70 ERA in 19 starts and fellow prospect Cam Schlittler just made his MLB debut yesterday. Veteran Marcus Stroman only recently returned from the injured list and has a 7.45 ERA in five starts (albeit with better results post-injury than pre-injury).

In the bullpen, the Yankees have lost Fernando Cruz, Mark Leiter Jr., Jake Cousins and Yerry De los Santos within the past three weeks. Cousins’ season is over before it truly began, as he’ll require Tommy John surgery. Cruz has a Grade 2 oblique strain and is looking at a long absence. Leiter has a stress fracture in his fibula. While Cousins hasn’t pitched this season due to his injuries, the other three have combined for 87 1/3 innings of 3.30 ERA ball with 21 holds and four saves.

The need at one infield position has been apparent since the offseason. Chisholm can play both third base and second base but is a better defender and more comfortable at the latter. He voiced as much recently while still being careful to make a team-first, “wherever they need me” caveat. The Yankees moved Chisholm from the hot corner back to second base and designated LeMahieu for assignment yesterday. LeMahieu, whom Boone suggested is not physically capable of handling third base right now, has seen his glovework at second base decline as well. He was released this morning.

Chisholm should be a plus all-around option at second base, but there’s no such certainty at third base. Oswald Peraza is a former top prospect and a sound defender, but he’s hitting .152/.220/.254 on the season. Jorbit Vivas, recalled when LeMahieu was designated, has slashed .156/.255/.267 in 53 major league plate appearances and .286/.409/.393 in Triple-A. Backup catcher J.C. Escarra has logged two games at third base as well but isn’t a frequent option over there. The Yankees could use some help and have already been linked to Ryan McMahon, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and others.

Any acquisitions the club makes will count against an ominous financial backdrop. The Yankees are third-time tax payors in the top penalty bracket, meaning they’re paying a 110% tax on the average annual value of any incoming players. That’s on top of said player’s actual salary.

For instance, Sandy Alcantara is perhaps the most oft-speculated name on the starting pitching market, but he’s making $17MM this year and guaranteed another $19MM beyond the season. He’d cost the Yankees $12.5MM for the final two months of this season alone, plus next year’s $17MM salary, any subsequent taxes, and at least a $2MM buyout on a 2027 option. Yankees fans frequently ask about Jacob deGrom in the chats we host at MLBTR, but deGrom has a $37.85MM AAV on his remaining contract and a $40MM salary in 2025. He’d cost the Yankees a ridiculous $27.1MM just for the final two months of the season, before even considering the $75MM he’s owed in 2026-27 (and any taxes they’d pay on that sum) and/or his full no-trade clause.

The extent to which ownership is willing to further bump payroll remains unclear. The Yankees ran up against some clear financial limitations late in the most recent offseason. Managing partner Hal Steinbrenner has publicly and famously indicated that he doesn’t think a $300MM payroll is sustainable on an annual basis. The Yankees aren’t far from that threshold right now. Cashman said yesterday that Steinbrenner has told him to present any and all scenarios, regardless of cost, and cautioned not to assume that a player or players are too expensive. Those decisions will be made by ownership on a case-by-case basis.

Yankees Release DJ LeMahieu

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July 10: The Yankees announced that LeMahieu has been released.

July 9: Veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu has been designated for assignment by the Yankees, per multiple reports. Jorge Castillo of ESPN was among those to relay the news, adding that infielder Jorbit Vivas has been recalled as the corresponding move.

DJ LeMahieu | Andy Marlin-USA TODAY SportsThe move comes just a few days ahead of LeMahieu’s 37th birthday, which will be on Sunday. Though he was previously an excellent big league hitter capable of playing multiple positions, his production has nosedived as he has aged, both offensively and defensively.

He started this season on the 10-day injured list due to a calf strain. He came off the IL in mid-May. The Yanks gave him a chance to take over the second base job, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. moved over to third base, but LeMahieu’s offense was subpar. Manager Aaron Boone recently announced that Chisholm would be moving back to second base. LeMahieu had played third base in the past but Boone said this week that wouldn’t be an option as it would be too physically challenging for LeMahieu. General manager Brian Cashman said today that LeMahieu mentioned back in the winter that playing third base would be an issue for him physically, per Greg Joyce of The New York Post.

That left the veteran seemingly limited to a bench role but without the defensive versatility he had previously provided. It seemed the window was closing on him being a useful contributor for the Yankees, so they are moving on.

After many years with the Rockies, the Yankees originally signed LeMahieu ahead of the 2019 season, a two-year deal with a $24MM guarantee. He was brilliant over the course of that contract, hitting a combined .336/.386/.536 over 195 games. That production led to a 146 wRC+, indicating he was 46% better than the league average hitter. He did that while bouncing between first base, second base and third base as needed.

He returned to free agency but the Yanks eventually re-signed him, a six-year pact this time with a $90MM guarantee. In hindsight, that ultimately proved to be a misstep for the Yanks. In 2021, LeMahieu’s production fell to .268/.349/.362, translating to a 101 wRC+. He bounced back slightly in 2022, with a .261/.357/.377 line and 115 wRC+, but he was a league average hitter again in 2023.

Last year, his age and injuries really seemed to catch up with him. He missed significant time due to a right foot contusion and a right hip impingement. He only got into 67 games and hit .204/.269/.259 for a 53 wRC+. This year, as mentioned, he began the year on the IL. His offense came back to some degree, but his .266/.338/.336 line thus far translates to a wRC+ of 95.

It has long seemed like LeMahieu has been cornered. Chisholm is a better defender at second base and appears more comfortable there. Adding a third baseman at the deadline and moving Chisholm to the keystone has long seemed like a plan for the Yankees. They have been connected to players like Ryan McMahon and Isiah Kiner-Falefa in recent weeks. Cashman admitted today that he plans to look for third base upgrades ahead of the deadline, per Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.

LeMahieu will be on the open market in the coming days. He is making $15MM annually through the end of next year, meaning there is still about $22MM left to be paid out between now and then. No club will want to claim that off the waiver wire. He has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and keep those salary commitments in place. The Yankees may skip that formality and simply release him. They will stay on the hook for that money.

At that point, any other club could sign him and would only have to pay him the prorated version of the league minimum salary. That amount would be subtracted from what the Yankees pay. Given LeMahieu’s health, age and recent performance, he may be limited to minor league offers.

For now, the Yanks will cover third with some combination of Vivas, Oswald Peraza and backup catcher J.C. Escarra, Boone said today, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. However, as mentioned, they seem likely to add a player from outside the organization by the July 31st deadline.

Photos courtesy of Bill Streicher and Andy Marlin, Imagn Images

MLBTR Podcast: Firings in Washington, Bad Braves, And An AL East Shake-Up

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images

Yankees Designate Geoff Hartlieb For Assignment

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The Yankees announced Wednesday that they’ve designated right-handed reliever Geoff Hartlieb for assignment. His spot on the 40-man and 26-man rosters will go to pitching prospect Cam Schlittler, whose previously reported promotion is now official. Schlittler’s contract has been selected from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and he’ll make his major league debut when he starts today’s game against the Mariners.

Hartlieb, 31, has appeared in two games for the Yankees this season. He’s allowed three runs in both, resulting in a grisly 40.50 ERA through 1 1/3 innings. He’s been very good in a larger sample of 35 Triple-A frames, working to a 3.34 ERA with a sharp 26.2% strikeout rate and strong 6.9% walk rate. Hartlieb has a solid overall track record in Triple-A, but he’s struggled badly in parts of six big league seasons between the Pirates, Mets, Marlins, Rockies and now Yankees. In 80 2/3 MLB frames, he carries a 7.92 earned run average.

The Yankees have five days to trade Hartlieb or place him on waivers (a 48-hour process) in order to resolve his DFA within the maximum allotted window of one week. This is his second DFA of the season in the Bronx — the Yankees also designated him following his first appearance — and he accepted an outright assignment after clearing waivers the last time. There’s a good chance this time will play out similarly, though Hartlieb will have the right to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency if he goes unclaimed.

Poll: The Yankees’ Biggest Need At The Deadline

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It’s been a tough few weeks for the Yankees. On May 28, the club was riding high with a seven-game cushion in the AL East. At that point, it seemed as though their biggest concern this summer would be vying for a bye through the Wild Card series rather than holding off their division rivals. That’s not how things have played out. New York has gone just 7-15 over its past 22 games and now sits 3.5 games back of the Blue Jays in the AL East with just a one-game cushion in a highly competitive AL Wild Card race.

The good news for the Yankees is that we’re just a few short weeks from the trade deadline, and help should be available for the club. As GM Brian Cashman and the rest of the front office gear up for trade season, it’s fair to wonder what the club’s biggest need this summer is going to be, although they may have provided some clarity on that as recently as this morning.

The Yankees’ need at either second or third base has been plainly apparent since the offseason. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has played both positions this season and delivered when healthy this year, with an impressive 136 wRC+ in 59 games, but he missed a month with an oblique strain and has battled injuries throughout his young career.

Chisholm has played third base since returning from the injured list early last month, but skipper Aaron Boone revealed this morning that Chisholm is moving back to second base. Boone called third base a “fluid” position and noted that Oswald Peraza will get the first look there tonight. DJ LeMahieu, who’s being displaced at second base by the Chisholm move, has plenty of experience at third base but hasn’t played there this season. Boone said today that playing third is now physically challenging for LeMahieu and not a consideration going forward.

Peraza, meanwhile, has not answered questions about whether or not he’s capable of hitting in the majors. The 25-year-old has hit just .154/.225/.262 (37 wRC+) this year with a 28.2% strikeout rate and little power. While he’s a solid enough defender all around the infield, he’s shown very few signs of life on offense. Jeimer Candelario just signed a minor league deal, but he’s a reclamation project at this point.

The early season heroics of Aaron Judge helped to mask the lackluster offensive production the Yankees were receiving from the tandem of LeMahieu and Peraza, but the team has gotten below average production from both second (89 wRC+) and third base (93 wRC+) even with Chisholm chipping in at both positions. A bat like that of Eugenio Suárez could transform the Yankees lineup, but even less flashy additions like Willi Castro, Amed Rosario, and Ryan McMahon could be a major help. Not only would that sort of addition shore up an infield in desperate need of additional depth, but it could help jump start a lineup that’s been in a collective slump of late. Over the past month, the Yankees rank just 16th in runs scored. They’ve scored one run or fewer runs seven times in that span. That type of offensive production is hard for even a dominant pitching staff to turn into wins.

Of course, the pitching staff has been far from dominant of late. Yankees starters have generally impressed on the season, with an 3.72 ERA and 3.79 FIP, but since the calendar flipped to June that’s ticked up to a 3.94 ERA and 4.15 FIP. They’re just 15th in the majors in rotation FIP since the start of June, and that’s including strong work from Clarke Schmidt, whose season appears finished as he awaits a likely Tommy John surgery. Schmidt joins Gerrit Cole on the shelf for the remainder of the year. The Yankees’ rotation now includes Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman and rookie Will Warren. Prospect Cam Schlittler is being called up to make his MLB debut and start tomorrow’s game.

Luis Gil is expected back at some point down the stretch, but a team relying on rookies like Schlittler and Warren (who has a 5.02 ERA in 18 starts this year) could benefit from another playoff-caliber starting pitcher. Given their long-term strength in the rotation, it would be understandable if the Yankees weren’t interested in paying for a controllable arm like Sandy Alcantara or Mitch Keller. Even so, swinging a deal for a solid veteran rental like Merrill Kelly or Seth Lugo would go a long way to improving the look of the team’s rotation headed into the stretch run.

The Yankees’ bullpen has also had some troubles throughout the season. Early in the year, newly-acquired closer Devin Williams was lit up badly enough that his ERA crept up over 11.00 and he was removed from the ninth inning. He’s eventually gotten to the point where he’s looking right for the most part again, with a 2.31 ERA and 1.54 FIP since the start of June. Even so, the step forward from Williams has been balanced out in recent weeks by injuries to key arms like Mark Leiter Jr., Jake Cousins and Fernando Cruz. Meanwhile, late-inning arms like Luke Weaver and Jonathan Loaisiga have struggled considerably returning from IL stints of their own. Adding some sort of depth to a bullpen that’s shown cracks all throughout the season would make some sense.

Judge, Fried, and more recently Williams have provided the sort of superstar production that can help paper over issues and keep the team afloat, but the depth behind those stars is clearly lacking. Which of the Yankees’ needs to MLBTR readers think is most important to address? Have your say in the poll below:

Yankees Place Mark Leiter Jr. On IL With Fibular Head Stress Fracture

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The Yankees announced today that right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left fibular head stress fracture. No timeline for his absence has been provided. Righty Clayton Beeter has been recalled in a corresponding move.

Leiter told reporters, including Max Goodman of NJ Advance Media, that he suffered the injury while covering first base in a game against the Reds on June 24th. As seen in this video from MLB.com, Leiter was racing Elly De La Cruz to first and landed a bit awkwardly around the bag. Remarkably, he stayed in the game at that point and has also made four appearances since suffering that fracture.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, his results have taken a step back since he’s been pitching through the injury. After De La Cruz was safe at first, he then allowed a single, uncorked a wild pitch, issued a walk and allowed another single, taking the loss in that game. In the four subsequent outings, he allowed five earned runs in 2 1/3 innings.

Prior to the injury, his results were quite strong. Going into that game where he suffered the fracture, he had a 3.48 earned run average in 31 innings. His 32.1% strikeout rate, 6.6% walk rate and 50.6% ground ball rate were all well above average. He recorded two saves and ten holds out of Aaron Boone’s bullpen.

Losing that arm is another blow for the Yankee staff. He is now the eighth pitcher on the club’s IL. The starting staff is without Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt and Ryan Yarbrough, while the bullpen is down Leiter, Jake Cousins, Fernando Cruz and Yerry De los Santos.

Understandably, as the bodies have been piling up, the club has hit a rough skid. They were victorious in Sunday’s game against the Mets, which snapped a six-game losing streak. Four of those six losses came against the surging Blue Jays, who took over first place in the American League East in the process.

As mentioned, it’s unclear how long Leiter should be down. Since he was able to pitch through the injury, perhaps he will only require a minimum stint on the IL. However, all contending clubs look for bullpen upgrades at the deadline and the recent spate of injuries suffered by the Yankees should only increase their urgency in that department.

Photo courtesy of Sam Greene, Imagn Images

Yankees Moving Jazz Chisholm Jr. Back To Second Base

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3:20pm: Boone tells the Yankees beat that there’s no thought of playing LeMahieu at third base (link via Chris Kirschner of The Athletic). Playing third base is physically challenging for LeMahieu at this stage of his career, and the Yankees are viewing him primarily as a bench bat moving forward. Asked how the veteran infielder took the news, Boone candidly replied, “Not great, necessarily, but that’s kind of the situation we’re in right now.”

LeMahieu is being paid $15MM this season and is owed another $15MM in 2026.

11:25am: Since returning to the Yankees following a monthlong stay on the injured list due to an oblique strain, Jazz Chisholm Jr. has appeared in 29 games and played third base in every single one of them. The versatile infielder/outfielder recently voiced a team-first approach saying he’ll play anywhere but noted that his preference is second base. That shift is now in the works, as manager Aaron Boone tells Talkin’ Yanks that Chisholm will move back to second base beginning tonight. Oswald Peraza will play third base this evening, Boone adds.

It’s a notable change both in that it sets the Yankees up for a better defensive alignment while also potentially tipping their hand with regard to the looming trade deadline. Chisholm has been a capable but unspectacular defender at the hot corner. He grades out more effectively at second base. Peraza hasn’t hit at all this season but draws strong defensive marks for his glovework at the hot corner. Meanwhile, veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu has provided slightly below-average offense and diminished defense at second base (particularly relative to his brilliant peak). He hasn’t logged  an inning at third base this year.

The Yankees are widely expected to search for infield help (among other things) ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. While it’s always possible they bring in another second baseman and move Chisholm back to third base, the early shift back to his more natural position seems to signal a preference for Chisholm to remain there. Boone acknowledged that his preference is to keep Chisholm at second base for now and avoid a situation where he’s bouncing back and forth between the two positions. A third base upgrade stands as a more natural target as the Yankees peruse the trade market.

The Yanks have already been connected to Colorado’s Ryan McMahon and Pittsburgh’s Isiah Kiner-Falefa (a former Yankee), among other possible third base targets. Presumably, they would be prominent suitors for Arizona’s Eugenio Suárez if he’s made available, but the D-backs are on the periphery of the NL Wild Card chase and GM Mike Hazen has signaled that he hopes to avoid a sell-off. Their direction — and the availability of players like Suárez, Zac Gallen, Josh Naylor and Merrill Kelly — will largely boil down to how the Diamondbacks perform over the next couple weeks.

It’s not clear in the interim how the Yankees will handle third base. Boone committed only to Peraza playing there tonight and said that otherwise the position will “remain fluid,” with Chisholm sticking over at second base. LeMahieu has plenty of career experience at the hot corner but has been exclusively a second baseman in 2025. Peraza is a strong defender there but has just a .154/.225/.262 batting line, albeit in a relatively small sample of 142 plate appearances and with sporadic, infrequent playing time. Oswaldo Cabrera is still out long-term due to a broken ankle. Jorbit Vivas played a bit of third base earlier this season but is back in Triple-A and in the midst of a rough slump there (.175/.309/.211 across his past 15 games).

The Yankees have also brought in a couple of veterans on non-roster deals over the past week. Jeimer Candelario was a quality offensive performer in four years with the Tigers before becoming a free agent in the 2023-24 offseason. His three-year, $45MM deal with the Reds didn’t pan out at all, and Cincinnati released him on June 29. Candelario signed with the Yankees over the weekend. On the other side of the spectrum, Nicky Lopez is an all-glove utilityman with the versatility to handle shortstop, second base or third base. He opted out of a minor league deal with the D-backs on July 1 and signed with the Yankees a couple days later.

Yankees To Promote Cam Schlittler

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July 8: Schlittler will indeed be promoted for his major league debut tomorrow, per SNY’s Andy Martino. The team has not yet formally announced the move or any corresponding 40-man or 26-man roster moves.

July 5: The Yankees are currently planning to add pitching prospect Cam Schlittler to the big league roster on either Tuesday or Wednesday, according to Joel Sherman and Dan Martin of the New York Post.  Multiple transactions will be required in advance since Schlittler isn’t on the 40-man roster, though 40-man space can be easily created by moving Clarke Schmidt to the 60-day injured list.  Schmidt will miss the rest of the season due to an expected Tommy John surgery, which has opened the door for Schlittler to make his Major League debut.

Allan Winans was only just optioned to Triple-A last Sunday and thus his minimum 15-day stay in the minors isn’t yet up, unless another injury arises in the next few days to allow New York to bring Winans back to the Show.  Should a forthcoming injury create a path back for Winans, the Yankees might change course, which is why Sherman and Martin note that the club hasn’t yet absolutely decided to call Schlittler up.

Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, and Will Warren comprise the top four pitchers in a rotation that has now taken another big injury hit with the loss of Schmidt, on top of Gerrit Cole’s Tommy John surgery in March.  Luis Gil has missed the entire season due to a lat strain and isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break, while Sherman/Martin write that swingman Ryan Yarbrough is expected to be out until August while recovering from an oblique strain.  This means Schlittler might get a bit of an extended audition beyond just a start in New York’s upcoming series with the Mariners, unless Winans is recalled or if the Yankees perhaps acquired another pitcher.

A seventh-round pick for the Yankees in the 2022 draft, Schlittler has a 3.33 ERA over 243 1/3 career pro innings, starting 50 of his 54 games.  This year, he has a 2.38 ERA over 53 innings of Double-A ball and a 3.80 ERA in 23 2/3 innings at Triple-A.  Schlittler has an impressive 31.9% strikeout rate over his 76 2/3 total innings this season, as well as an 8.4% walk rate and a 47.8% grounder rate.  The right-hander has consistently done a good job of keeping the ball on the ground, though this does leave him open to some batted-ball variance, such as his .350 BABIP in the minors this season.

Baseball America ranks the 6’6″, 210-pound Schlittler fifth on their list of the Yankees’ minor league prospects, while he sits tenth on MLB Pipeline’s Yankees farm rankings.  Both outlets put a 60-grade on Schlittler’s fastball, which averages around 94mph and can hit as high as 97-98mph, plus BA’s scouting report cites the pitch’s “15 inches of induced vertical break.”  BA’s report is also a big fan of the sweeper Schlittler has been developing, which nicely complements his more standard slider.  This combination of pitches hints that Schlittler could be a very promising reliever if his future as a starter doesn’t work out, but evaluators feel he has a chance to stick as at least a back-end rotation member.

Details On Bryan Reynolds’ Limited No-Trade Protection

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The Pirates appear to be open for business regarding trade talks for most of their roster (sans Paul Skenes) this summer. In a trade market without many quality bats available, that could make two-time All-Star Bryan Reynolds a particularly intriguing commodity for some teams. One potential wrinkle in Reynolds’s availability is his partial no-trade protection, which allows him to block trades to a list of six teams. A report from Noah Hiles from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette yesterday revealed those teams are the Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Giants, and Padres.

All six of those teams are in playoff contention and stand out as likely to not only buy this season, but do so fairly aggressively. It’s not unheard of for a player to waive their no-trade clause, and some players with limited no-trade protection even specifically prioritize putting likely contenders on their no-trade lists to maximize the amount of leverage they have in determining their destination should their team decide to trade them. With that being said, the news of Reynolds’ no-trade list certainly makes a deal sending him to any of those six clubs far less likely.

Many of the clubs Reynolds can block a trade to appear to be imperfect fits on paper. The Dodgers, Yankees, and Mets all have deep corner outfield mixes and seem very unlikely to prioritize adding a bat like Reynolds when they have larger needs elsewhere. The Giants likely made their big splash of trade season already when they acquired Rafael Devers from the Red Sox, although Mike Yastrzemski is in the final year of his contract and would be unlikely to stop San Francisco from adding an impact bat. Addison Barger’s breakout and George Springer’s resurgence have more or less locked down the right field and DH spots for the Blue Jays, and while there’s an opening in left field for the moment that figures to change as soon as Anthony Santander returns from the injured list.

Perhaps the clearest fit for Reynolds on his no-trade list is the Padres, who have long appeared to be a bat short in the lineup as they’ve cycled through options like Jason Heyward, Trenton Brooks, and Oscar Mercado with little success this year. There’s a clear opening in left field for Reynolds to theoretically step into, as well. With that being said, San Diego has operated under some extremely tight financial constraints in recent years that would make it difficult to see them deal a player like Reynolds, who is due more than $77MM after this season on his extension with the Pirates. It should also be noted that, despite Reynolds’s long track record of success in the majors, he’s in the midst of the worst full season of his career as he’s slashed just .232/.298/.384 with a wRC+ of 87 this season.

That combination of a hefty contract, a tough 2025 campaign so far, and now a list of six contenders who likely will not be in the market for Reynolds’s services could mean the Pirates won’t get as much interest in their star outfielder as they may have hoped. Even if that proves to be the case, however, Reynolds is sure to get at least some interest around the league. The Royals have already been connected to Reynolds just this past week, and there will surely be more outfield-needy teams who at least give the Pirates a call to see if there’s a match. Speculatively speaking, the Phillies and Cardinals stand out as clubs that could theoretically stand to make a substantial upgrade to their outfield who might have the resources necessary to take on Reynolds’s contract.

Yankees Sign Geoff Hartlieb To Major League Deal

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The Yankees announced this morning that they’ve signed right-hander Geoff Hartlieb to a major league deal and selected him to the roster. Left-hander Jayvien Sandridge has been optioned to Triple-A to make room for Hartlieb on the active roster.

Hartlieb, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Yankees during the offseason and made his lone big league appearance of the season this past week against the Blue Jays. He was lit up for three runs on two hits and three walks while striking out three in one inning of work and was promptly designated for assignment. He ultimately cleared waivers and elected free agency but is now back in the majors with New York on a fresh MLB contract.

Prior to playing for the Yankees, Hartlieb had played in five MLB seasons across four organizations. He got his start with the Pirates in 2019 and struggled to a 9.00 ERA in 35 innings during his debut season but settled in and provided some solid middle relief help for Pittsburgh during the shortened 2020 campaign with a 3.63 ERA in 22 1/3 frames. Since then he’s made only sparing MLB appearances, with an ugly 8.59 ERA in 22 innings of work between 2021 and 2024 for the Pirates, Mets, Marlins, and Rockies.

Going forward, Hartlieb figures to offer the Yankees another depth option capable of going multiple innings. That could be a useful stopgap addition as they try to sort out a pitching staff that recent lost Clarke Schmidt to what will likely end up being season-ending Tommy John surgery. Schmidt’s injury leaves the Yankees very short on starting depth with Ryan Yarbrough, Gerrit Cole, and Luis Gil all already on the shelf. That could leave the Yankees relying on bullpen games every fifth day for the time being unless they’re willing to dedicate a rotation spot to right-hander Allan Winans. As for Sandridge, the lefty recently made his MLB debut and two runs on two walks, a hit batsman, and a homer while recording two strikeouts in 2/3 of an inning. He’ll head back to Triple-A and serve as optionable lefty depth for the Yankees going forward.

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