The New York Yankees (54-36 entering play on Saturday), find themselves in second place in the fiercely competitive American League East. They trail the Baltimore Orioles by three games and hold a narrow 4.5-game lead over the third-place Boston Red Sox, who took game one of their three-game set this weekend. Just a month ago, the Yankees were 28 games over .500, but an 0-4 start to July and a lackluster 14-13 record in June have left the team reeling.
The Yankees’ recent performance has shown they aren’t as dominant as their .750 winning percentage in May suggested, but they are also not as weak as their current struggles imply. New York needs midseason reinforcements to compete with the younger, deeper Orioles team, particularly in the infield and pitching staff. First, second and third base all require upgrades, and additional arms are essential to support a pitching rotation suffering from overuse.
In recent seasons, the Yankees have waited for other teams to initiate trade-deadline activity, but they must be the aggressors this year. With no guarantee that Juan Soto will return in 2025, and possessing the 11th-best farm system, according to MLB.com, New York must strike early.
Christian Walker, 1B, Diamondbacks
One prime target is Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker. At 33, Walker would be a rental player. But he boasts a 142 OPS+, slugging .518 with 22 home runs. Given Anthony Rizzo’s injury issues and the inexperience of rookie Ben Rice, acquiring a veteran power hitter like Walker is crucial. Additionally, Walker is consistently rated among the best defensive first basemen in the league, according to Baseball Savant.