2 upgrades Yankees can pursue if Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres don’t step up

The New York Yankees are 48-21, with the most wins and the second-best win percentage in all of baseball. It's a dramatic turnaround from last season, when New York was a middle of the road team without enough offense to meaningfully compete in the AL East.

It turns out a healthy Aaron Judge and Juan Soto help generate runs. The Yankees have arguably the first and second-place MVP frontrunners in the American League, not to mention a dominant pitching staff led by the resurgent Carlos Rodon. With Gerrit Cole's return coming down the pipeline, not much is standing in the Yankees' way of competing for a World Series berth.

Of course, even the best teams have points of weakness. The Philadelphia Phillies, for example, need outfield help. The Baltimore Orioles want a bullpen arm. And the Yankees, well, there are a couple holes in the infield. Both Anthony Rizzo and Gleyber Torres are struggling through two months of action.

Rizzo (.220/.279/.332) has been on the downslide for a while. For Torres (.231/.306/.335), this is a slightly more unexpected falloff. The Yankees can afford to operate with patience given the collective strength of their offense, but according to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the front office is monitoring the right side of their infield closely. If Rizzo and Torres don't improve, a trade deadline upgrade is in store.

"If they don’t [improve], the Yankees will at least consider upgrading there at the deadline."

Bowden also lists two potential Yankees targets in his sprawling report, which is sure to get any New York fan on the edge of their seat.

Yankees connected to Pete Alonso, Paul Goldschmidt as potential trade deadline targets

Pete Alonso is expected to be the "biggest power bat" traded at the deadline, per The Athletic. The Yankees are one of several teams listed as a potential landing spot, with the Cubs, Twins, Giants, Mariners, and Astros also in the mix. Bowden notes that the New York Mets will attempt to re-sign Alonso next offseason, even if he's traded.

For the Yankees, Alonso is an appealing target on multiple levels. For one, an Alonso trade deepens the divide between the Bronx Bombers and their cross-town rivals in Queens. If the Yankees can poach a Mets fan favorite and actually keep him in pinstripes, well, it's a great day for the Yankees' fandom. It would be less fun on the Mets' side, of course.

The baseball fit is strong, as Alonso would give New York another potent source of runs batted in. Alonso is going to strike out a fair amount, but he draws a ton of walks and hits for power when he does make contact. He can clear the bases as well as anybody in baseball, with the possible exception of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. Pitchers would need to tread carefully around the heart of the Yankees' lineup.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is the slightly less appealing of the two options. He's seven years older and visibly on the decline, with numbers that are a far cry from his MVP campaign in 2022. On the other hand, he won NL MVP a couple years ago. When he's right, Goldschmidt is one of the most potent all-around hitters in the sport. The Yankees can hope that a change of scenery and a less important position in the lineup revive Goldy's production a bit. He would presumably cost less than Alonso in a trade, too, and be much easier to keep around beyond 2024.

The Yankees need to consider the future with any trade. Both Alonso and Goldschmidt are free agents after the season. Goldy is in the twilight of his career and probably won't get more than a year or two of guaranteed money. Alonso, meanwhile, is going to demand a lucrative long-term extension. We've already seen Hal Steinbrenner dub the Yankees' cap situation "unsustainable," and Juan Soto's own free agency fate is very much undecided. If New York isn't sure about its ability to pay Soto, we can pretty much count out an Alonso return. How much can the Yankees afford to pay for a rental — especially with a non-zero chance that both Soto and Alonso just end up with the Mets next season?

It's something to chew on.

But, in the meantime, the Yankees also need to focus on their current window of contention. These opportunities are often fleeting, so New York can't say no to a golden opportunity to push all their chips in and perhaps win another ring.