3 players the Yankees should target to appease Juan Soto and save their season

The New York Yankees are running out of time to add to their team before the trade deadline comes and goes. If they fall apart, lose the AL East to the Orioles and get bounced early on in the MLB playoffs, they can kiss their chances of resigning Juan Soto goodbye.

Soto is looking to win. He's been looking to do that for his entire career. Everyone involved understands that he's going to get an incredibly large contract this offseason, but he will probably get similar offers across the board from teams that are willing to commit $600 million to a single player.

The Yankees have the advantage because they're his previous team. They could add to that advantage by being winners this year. It would be hard for Soto to turn down an offer to return to a team that he believes can continue to compete with the best teams in the league.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, and join the discord to get the inside scoop as we near the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

3. Yankees should trade for 2B/OF Jazz Chisholm, Miami Marlins

The rumors suggest the Yankees were going to eventually be fully out of the race to acquire the Miami Marlins utility man, Jazz Chisholm Jr. The cited reasoning is the potential of being a problem in the clubhouse because of Chisholm's outspoken personality and occasional run in with others.

Mind you, this is the same organization that employed Domingo German and Aroldis Chapman for years just recently.

Either way, these concerns should be thrown out the window with the state that the team is in right now. Chisholm is the exact kind of player that New York needs. He can hit for power and steal bases while providing New York with a perfect leadoff hitter. His defensive versatility would allow the Yankees to platoon their lineup a bit easier, playing Chisholm all around the field in order to get different bats in the lineup.

The aspect of this deal that no pundit is looking into is how the Yankees have a leader in Aaron Judge who has kept things in check this year. He was the first person to settle the beef between Gleyber Torres and Marcus Stroman a few weeks back, and there is no doubt that he would be able to keep Chisholm on board to help the team win baseball games.

2. LHP Garrett Crochet, Chicago White Sox

The Yankees need to do whatever it takes to get Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox. They need another starter, especially given the current state of Gerrit Cole, who has struggled mightily since returning from the injured list. Their rotation has been average at best this year.

Garrett Crochet has been much better than average. He's thrown to a 3.07 ERA, a sub-1.00 WHIP and 12.7 K/9 this season. His arsenal is electric and he's truly one of the harder pitchers in the game to hit off of. He hasn't recorded a win since early June despite allowing just 10 earned runs in 35.2 innings in that span.

He's a 25-year-old with a live arm and multiple more years of team control. He's going to be a cheap option that would likely come to the Yankees looking for a six-or-seven-year, team friendly contract extension that would buy him out of his remaining arbitration years.

Crochet is almost certainly going to be traded in the coming days. The Yankees need to do whatever it takes to acquire him. He's the big fish that the Yankees front office has been looking for and they need to make any and all prospects available to steal him from a team like the Dodgers.

1. 2B Jonathan India, Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds have made it quite evident that they aren't looking to trade their second baseman, Jonathan India. India is a leader in the Cincinnati clubhouse, he plays the game with fire, passion and aggression, and he's having quite the incredible year.

The Yankees need an infielder and they need a leadoff hitter. India is both of those things, being the Reds everyday second baseman and leadoff hitter.

Since being moved to leadoff, India is slashing .265/.376/.414 with 16 doubles and almost as many walks as he has strikeouts. The Reds 27-year-old infielder has shown improved defense and leadership that's incredibly rare in baseball these days.

Teams have been able to pitch so freely to Juan Soto and Aaron Judge because the hitters in front of them aren't getting on and getting to second base. It becomes much more challenging to go after these superstars if India is getting on at a near 40 percent clip in front of them.

Whatever it takes to get India is what the Yankees should offer up. He has multiple years of team control for a very cheap price and would change their lineup entirely. No prospect should be safe in trade negotiations with the Reds. That's the only way the Yankees will be able to pull him away from Cincinnati, as the Reds players, fans and front office love India dearly.