Perhaps no team had a more polarizing trade deadline than the New York Yankees. The club acquired National League slugging leader Luis Garcia Jr. and controllable outfielder Heliot Ramos without surrendering its most-coveted prospects, yet it stopped short of a splash many observers expected and left some roster questions unaddressed.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Yankees did enough to remain a top American League contender even though they did not fix every need. Passan noted that an additional relief arm and a right-handed-hitting catcher would have helped, but said the Yankees still boast the highest-ceiling rotation among AL playoff teams and that the additions of Garcia and Ramos, plus Cody Bellinger’s return, make the lineup stronger. Passan added that if Aaron Judge returns this season the club could be considered an AL favorite.
ESPN’s Buster Olney viewed the deadline similarly, calling the acquisitions of Garcia and Ramos solid fits for a middling AL landscape. Olney said Garcia was arguably the best available hitter on the market and that Ramos profiles well against left-handed pitching. He added that the trade market’s makeup limited fits for the Yankees, and that interest in bullpen help and a right-handed-hitting catcher was hampered when the Padres’ improved standing removed some relievers from play.
One persistent shortcoming was catching. Jorge Castillo noted that GM Brian Cashman had acknowledged the issue on July 9, saying, “It’s an issue, clearly.” Cashman later said the front office had “grinded through the market of catching,” but the Yankees made no move. New York’s catchers entered Tuesday ranked 28th in batting average and 27th in wRC+ for the majors.
Castillo said Cashman confirmed talks with the Orioles about Adley Rutschman but called the asking price too rich, and that the Yankees pursued other backstops without landing an upgrade. Bradford Doolittle also flagged catching as the obvious remaining need, suggesting the Yankees might have been able to pursue Liam Hicks more aggressively and noting the club was less aggressive than the Red Sox on Rutschman.
