The MLB trade deadline is just a few days away and the New York Yankees are widely expected to be one of the most active teams in the league. With that being said, the question becomes, who could the Yankees target to improve their rotation? One name to keep an eye on is Pittsburgh Pirates starter Mitch Keller.
Yankees Linked to Trade by ESPN That Could Seal World Series Contention originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The MLB trade deadline is just a few days away and the New York Yankees are widely expected to be one of the most active teams in the league.
Already, the team has pulled off one trade. They were able to fix their third base issue with a trade to acquire Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies. Now, they could turn their attention to the starting rotation.
With that being said, the question becomes, who could the Yankees target to improve their rotation?
One name to keep an eye on is Pittsburgh Pirates starter Mitch Keller. He has been linked for weeks as a potential target for New York.
ESPN has now named Keller to the Yankees as one of the trade deadline moves they want to see. Jorge Castillo, an MLB reporter for ESPN, was the one who suggested that move.
"The Yankees want a starting pitcher and Keller, while not the best starter seemingly available, would be a solid addition to a depleted rotation. The veteran right-hander is so far having the best season of his career, with a 3.69 ERA over 127 innings," Castillo wrote.
"Furthermore, he is under contract for another three seasons for a sensible $55.7 million and the Yankees strongly prefer trading for non-rental players. Last year, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Mark Leiter Jr. fell into that bucket. And last week, they acquired Ryan McMahon, who is under contract through 2027," he wrote.
As mentioned by Castillo, Keller is having the best year of his MLB career. If New York could acquire him and have him continue pitching at the level he has shown so far this year, the Yankees could seal their World Series contention ability with the move.
Right now, New York holds a 57-49 record and are 5.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East division race. Bringing in a starter who can play at an elite level like Keller could be the missing piece that helps the Yankees turn things around and make a postseason run.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
