The New York Yankees have had bullpen issues all summer, losing important games due to a group that either hasn’t been able to hold a lead or hasn’t been able to stop the bleeding.
Brian Cashman and the front office are astutely aware of the team’s issues with preventing runs both due to their staff and poor defense, and their plans at the deadline are centered around ensuring they can keep runs off the board.
Sources are telling Empire Sports Media that the Yankees are shopping at the top of the reliever market, and have already engaged in conversations to try and land a lockdown reliever.
It’s possible New York tries to acquire multiple relievers this deadline, and we do not have any information about a close deal or something on the verge of breaking.
Yankees Could Swing Big in the Bullpen Market, Including Revisiting This Star Closer
New York is already working on trying to reinforce their leaky bullpen, as Brian Cashman is active in trade conversations with potential sellers.
The Yankees are expected to be aggressive buyers at the deadline and history shows when the organization believes they have a contender on their hand, they’ll spend tons of prospect capital to get better.
One of the biggest players that could get moved is Jhoan Duran, whom we’ve learned is a trade target for the Yankees at the moment.
Brian Cashman engaged in trade talks with the Minnesota Twins last summer at the trade deadline and exchanged names, with the framework of a deal being discussed then.
Minnesota does not feel ‘forced’ to deal Jhoan Duran as he has two more years of control after 2025, so if the Yankees do not match the Twins’ price point, they’ll shop for other offers or happily hold onto a superstar closer.
Both the Yankees and Twins are savvy dealers; they believe in getting the right value for a player and have multiple options they’ll fall back to in order to.
READ MORE: Yankees have 5 players drawing serious trade interest
One of those names for the Yankees would be David Bednar, whom the organization has also shown interest in as the team continues to talk with the Pirates.
The Twins and Pirates are teams with multiple players who could fit multiple holes for them, but Pittsburgh is believed to have more attainable talent.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a familiar name to Yankees fans, was very well-liked in that clubhouse and manager Aaron Boone particularly loved having him on the roster.
His elite defense at third base at a cheap cost could appeal to New York, and starting pitcher Mitch Keller is expected to come at a much lower price than Joe Ryan, whom the Twins could also just cling onto.
It’ll be a busy deadline for the Yankees, but expect Brian Cashman to talk to as many sellers as humanly possible and strike a deal for a reliever before July 31st.
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