Yankees rumors: 3 trade deadline deals to make, 2 to avoid

The New York Yankees need plenty of help to make a push for the postseason. Here are three trade deadline deals to make, and two to avoid.

The New York Yankees are having a miserable time right now with over a month remaining until the Aug. 1 trade deadline. Their superstar outfielder and most valuable player, Aaron Judge, is sidelined with a sprain of his right big toe after crashing through the Dodger Stadium fence earlier this month. Without him, the offense is anemic and the team is well, a bore to watch. It certainly doesn’t help that the team is careening down the AL East standings, with the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays gaining ground.

This is a team that didn’t make many additions this offseason and ran back the same team that got swept by the Houston Astros. Sure enough, injuries have piled up in the starting rotation and the batting order. It’s a problem when the team’s best hitter as of this writing is Jake Bauers.

As of now, the Yankees plan on waiting things out and hoping that the offense breaks out of their funk, even if the losses pile up. But, this is the path the Yankees are taking right now —  expressing confidence in the batting order and spouting positivity, which the fanbase wants to hear none of, especially after watching some bad baseball.

The Yankees have the chance to right some wrongs and improve their roster, especially if they want to compete in the World Series, at the trade deadline. Here are three deals they should make, and two they should avoid at all costs.

Yankees rumors: 3 trade deadline deals to make, No. 3: Joc Pederson, OF, Giants

The Yankees need hitters. That’s a given. They also need an outfielder, badly. With injuries, manager Aaron Boone is relying on the likes of Bauers, Billy McKinney, Willie Calhoun, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The team avoided adding a left fielder this past winter, which backfired.

One outfielder option the team can explore adding is none other than Joc Pederson of the San Francisco Giants.

Pederson has shown that he can make a difference for a team in the second half of the season. Look no further than his trade to the Atlanta Braves in 2021, where he played a role in them winning their first World Series title since 1995. With Pederson set to become an unrestricted free agent, he could make a difference for a new team this season.

The outfielder and designated hitter did spend two trips on the injured list due to a right wrist inflammation and hamstring injury, so that is an area of concern. In 37 games played, Pederson recorded a .276 batting average, a .393 on-base percentage, a .509 slugging percentage, seven home runs, 22 runs scored, 25 RBI, and 32 hits. Pederson struck out 30 times this year but walked 20 times.

General manager Brian Cashman should be prioritizing bringing in hitters that can play in the outfield. Pederson would be a solid acquisition.