The Yankees are sitting pretty at 45-27 and leading the AL East, but that doesn’t mean the front office is done shopping. With the trade deadline creeping up, New York has a few holes to fill. And one name keeps popping up around the rumor mill: Adley Rutschman.
According to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, the Yankees would love to pry the Orioles catcher away from Baltimore. That’s a big ask, though. Rutschman is having another solid year — .259 average, eight homers, 40 RBIs in 53 games — and he’s one of the most complete catchers in baseball. The problem? The Orioles aren’t exactly in a selling mood. They’re contenders too. Bowden put it bluntly: a blockbuster like that is unlikely.
So what’s the backup plan? The Yankees need a right-handed hitting catcher, and they’ve got other names on the list. Bowden mentioned Ryan Jeffers of the Twins as a possibility, along with Keibert Ruiz from the Nationals and Agustín Ramírez from the Marlins. None of those guys move the needle quite like Rutschman, but they’d come a lot cheaper.
Bullpen and Bats Are on the Shopping List
Catcher isn’t the only concern. The Yankees bullpen has been strong this year, but Bowden expects them to keep looking for upgrades there too. One internal option is Carlos Lagrange, a farm system arm who brings a 100-mph fastball. Sometimes the best move is the one you don’t make a trade for.
There’s also the infield. Bowden noted that New York will keep an eye on prospect George Lombard Jr., who could slide in as an upgrade on the left side by late summer. And on top of all that, there’s the desire for one more right-handed power bat. The Yankees lineup is already deep, but adding another big righty stick would make it even tougher for opposing pitchers.
None of this means a Rutschman trade is dead, but it’s clearly a long shot. Baltimore isn’t dealing him unless somebody blows them away with an offer. And the Yankees, as much as they’d like to make that happen, might end up looking elsewhere. They’re too good right now to stand pat completely, but they’re also not desperate enough to overpay for a dream scenario.
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