What do the New York Yankees have in store for a high-pressure trade deadline?
The New York Yankees need some bullpen help, both for the rest of this season and the future.
Since early June, the Yankees' bullpen depth has worn down, and the results haven't been pretty. On the whole. New York ranks 21st in bullpen ERA and 15th in WHIP.
Plus, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver are both impending free agents, so as much as the Yankees might trust them for the rest of this season, they can't count on them coming back in 2026.
That's why one insider thinks the Yankees might be in line to pull off a stunning blockbuster.
On Monday, Yahoo Sports' Russell Dorsey listed the Yankees as a potential landing spot for Cleveland Guardians three-time All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase, who could be moved despite being under team control for 3 1/2 more seasons.
"Clase struggled in last year’s postseason," Dorsey wrote. "Those struggles carried into start of this season, but Clase appears to be putting them behind him. Over his past 13 outings, he has allowed only one earned run and has looked more like the two-time AL Reliever of the Year. For the season, the three-time All-Star is 5-2 with a 2.86 ERA.
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"If Clase’s struggles are indeed in the past, this could be the perfect time for a contender to woo the Guardians into trading their longtime closer. Potential landing spots: Yankees, Phillies, Cubs."
Clase is getting paid $6.4 million next season, then has $10 million club options for 2027 and 2028. It's the kind of money a big-market team like the Yankees doesn't have to think twice about forking over, which gives them negotiating power over the medium and small-market teams (Cleveland is somewhere in the middle of that spectrum).
If the Yankees are looking to shore up their bullpen, it's hard to imagine any more impactful addition than Clase. It's more a question of whether or not they'll be willing to meet a hefty price tag.
More MLB: Cubs linked to $6 million All-Star closer as trade deadline approaches
Category: Baseball
