The Yankees aren’t hiding it anymore — their roster needs help, and the front office knows reinforcements are coming.
With the trade deadline just two weeks away, both Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone have signaled major moves are on the horizon.
Boone made that perfectly clear this week when he described the Yankees’ first half performance using a single word — “incomplete.”
The comment, reported by Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, wasn’t dramatic, but it carried weight for a team still chasing consistency.
At 53–43, the Yankees are two games behind in the American League East after recently holding a seven-game lead.
Yankees’ lead vanished while the division race tightened
In the span of just three weeks, the Yankees watched their division lead completely evaporate — and the timing couldn’t be worse.
The Boston Red Sox are charging hard, riding a 10-game winning streak and now just one game behind New York.
Suddenly, the AL East feels like a pressure cooker, with every game carrying the weight of postseason implications.
The Yankees haven’t collapsed — they’ve played respectable ball — but expectations are much higher given their +111 run differential.
A team with that kind of scoring edge should be comfortably ahead, not scrapping for breathing room in July.
Boone believes in the team, but he knows more is needed
“There’s been a lot of good,” Boone said. “There’s obviously been two weeks where we really struggled.”
The manager continued, “But we set out in Spring Training and the start of the year to get back to the playoffs and go chase after a world title.”
He added, “All those hopes and dreams are right there and still exist for us. … A long way to go. Still got to keep getting better.”
Boone’s tone was optimistic, but also clear-eyed — the current group, as constructed, likely isn’t enough for a deep October run.
There’s belief in the room, but belief only takes you so far without impact upgrades at key spots on the roster.
Pitching depth is crumbling — and time is running short
The Yankees are still absorbing the loss of Gerrit Cole, who underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the remainder of 2025.
That blow alone made rotation depth a priority, but the recent season-ending injury to Clark Schmidt compounds the urgency.
Relying on patchwork solutions won’t cut it if the Yankees want to navigate the second half without another tailspin.
Adding an experienced starter is essential, along with at least one high-leverage bullpen piece to stabilize late innings.
Even with Luis Gil’s return on the way, the Yankees need more insurance before the schedule intensifies.
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Offense needs a spark, especially at third base
On the position player side, the Yankees’ biggest offensive void remains third base following the release of DJ LeMahieu.
While some internal options have filled in admirably, it’s not enough for a team eyeing October and beyond.
An impact bat with defensive reliability could dramatically shift the lineup’s depth and provide protection for Judge and Soto.
The Yankees don’t need marginal upgrades — they need legitimate production from the hot corner heading into the final stretch.
If Cashman can acquire a starter, bullpen depth, and a middle-of-the-order bat, it would mark a massive deadline win.
But that kind of shopping list doesn’t come cheap — and the Yankees will likely have to pay steeply to fill every gap.
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