The New York Yankees are one of the better teams in baseball and it has a lot to do with superstar slugger Aaron Judge. Judge is in the middle of one of the best seasons of his illustrious big-league career. In fact, there's a chance Judge could run away with an American League Triple Crown at the end of the year.
But one player won't win a team the World Series, just ask Barry Bonds. So, the Yankees are going to need to be quite aggressive at the trade deadline if they're going to one up their 2024 postseason success and bring home the World Series championship this season.
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One Yankees trade target from each NL Central club
The Yankees' trade targets for the season are obvious. They need to add a starting pitcher or two and an infielder to replace a few injured players. Out of anything, the Bronx Bombers need to add a starting pitcher to replace the injured Gerrit Cole.
New York could target the National League Central and their plethora of selling clubs to look to land a blockbuster trade this season. But which players from the NL Central could the Yankees target?
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Martinez
The Cincinnati Reds have a lot of starting pitching that's either big league caliber or nearly there. Hunter Greene and Andrew Abbott sit atop the pitching rotation. Nick Lodolo, Nick Martinez, and Brady Singer round out the Reds' five starting pitchers, when healthy.
With Rhett Lowder, Chase Petty, and Chase Burns banging on the door of the big leagues, the Reds could look to cut ties with their only expiring pitcher, Martinez, at the deadline.
Martinez would be the perfect addition for the Yankees. He's typically healthy and consistent. The righty fills up the zone with six pitches for strikes and competes at the highest level. If the Yankees drop to a four-man rotation in the postseason, Martinez has shown impressive ability to double as a bullpen arm, too.
The Reds would ideally target Spencer Jones as the return in a trade like this, but they'd probably have to settle for Everson Pereira instead. Either way, Cincinnati needs to add a power hitting outfielder to their roster and a trade with the Yankees would do that.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Andrew Heaney
The Yankees could look to target Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Andrew Heaney this season. The lefty has been excellent for Pittsburgh this season, but the team is so far from contending at this point in time, a trade would make perfect sense.
Heaney holds a 1.6 WAR and 3.24 ERA in 13 starts and 72 1/3 innings this season. He's consistently putting together quality starts which is going to make him a coveted name at the trade deadline.
There are a few different prospects the Pirates could target in a trade with the Yankees. With Pittsburgh's pitching depth as talented as it is in the farm system, a player like Roderick Arias or Edgleen Perez would be the best fit in the return. The aforementioned Pereira could potentially work, too.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta
Potentially the best player who could land on the trade market out of the NL Central this season is Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta. The Brewers are no strangers to trading away their top talent before they lose them in free agency. We could see the exact same thing with Peralta this season.
It would take a huge haul for the Yankees to land the righty, but that's something they need to do if they are serious about winning while Judge is still in his prime. There are very few prospects who should be off limits in this kind of deal.
In a blockbuster deal for Peralta, the Brewers would likely target somebody like George Lombard Jr., one of the higher potential players in New York's farm system. But the Yankees have been adamant they weren't looking to trade Lombard this season, so that might be quite a difficult catchup in this kind of deal.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Erick Fedde
The St. Louis Cardinals are in a bit of a tough spot this season. Whether they buy or sell at the deadline, they're likely to part ways with Erick Fedde in a trade, especially if they can add a big-league hitter in his place.
The Yankees could be the perfect landing spot for Fedde for a few reasons. The Bronx Bombers need a consistent starter and Fedde would give them that for an affordable prospect return. Fedde's contract expires at the end of the season, so it wouldn't tie the Yankees into a long-term situation.
In a deal for Fedde, the Cardinals would likely look to target the same power hitting outfielder as the Reds. Adding Pereira would be a massive addition for St. Louis' farm system. It would give the Cardinals another powerful option beside Jordan Walker in the outfield.
Chicago Cubs?
The Yankees and Chicago Cubs likely couldn't come together on a trade that would benefit both sides this season. Both teams are among the better clubs in baseball, so they'll likely both be aggressive buyers at the trade deadline.
The issue arises when you look at each team's needs. Both clubs will likely look for bullpen help. Both clubs will likely look for starting pitching help. The Yankees could potentially target somebody like Nico Hoerner, but it's unlikely the Cubs would give him up without somebody who's big league ready in return.