The Major League Baseball Trade Deadline is Monday, August 3, 2026, at 6p ET.
WHAT THE YANKEES HAVE DONE
August 1, 2026
The New York Yankees trade P Camilo Doval and cash considerations to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for C Omar Alfonzo and OF Luis Cruz. Politely, Doval was a major disappointment. In his one year and 66 games in pinstripes he pitched to a 4.63 ERA and had a whopping 1.474 WHIP. GM Brian Cashman deserves credit for acquiring two prospects — including Alfonzo who has already been named the organization’s 27th best prospect by MLB.com.
Grade: A-
August 2, 2026
The New York Yankees trade P Jake Bird, P Jack Cebert, P Yovanny Cruz, and P Ben Grable to the Washington Nationals in exchange for INF Luis Garcia Jr. In our July 30 post — “New York Yankees: Why Can’t They Win One-Run Games?” — I specifically left Luis Garcia off the list of prospective targets primarily because I believed the Yanks needed to prioritize hitters who regularly put the ball in play and get on-base. Garcia has a career .301 on-base percentage. This year he’s raking, with a .560 slugging percentage, which is just behind Ben Rice for third in the majors. However, his on-base is still only .313, and he’s a below-average fielder at 1B. In other words, he’ll fit right in with the current makeup of the Yankees lineup.
Grade: D+
WHY MLB OWNERS ARE HAPPY ABOUT THE SKUBAL TRADE
MLB and the Players Association are headed toward a showdown this winter with the overwhelming majority of owners — possibly every owner other than Mark Walter of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Steve Cohen of the New York Mets — pushing for a salary cap.
Based on history, fans are not going to be too concerned about it unless the potential work stoppage starts canceling games next March and April. At that point, the MLB owners will want fans on their side. Now, that’s a little difficult considering MLB is generating record revenues and has national games on more networks than ever — Amazon Prime, Apple TV, ESPN, FOX/FS1, MLB Network, NBC/Peacock, Netflix, and TBS.
However, nothing rallies the masses like a villain. LA has officially replaced the Yanks as the “Evil Empire,” and their acquisition of Skubal feeds that narrative. They didn’t acquire the reigning AL Cy Young Award-winning left-hander because they have a need for a starting pitcher. Instead, they acquired him partially because they did not want any of their competitors acquiring him, and they are dealing with injuries — though there is a very good chance Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, and Blake Snell will return to the mound prior to the stretch run.
I’m firmly in the camp that it would be good for the sport if the league adopted a version of the salary cap. Nothing will bring more fans over to my side like a Dodgers three-peat with Skubal starring in the postseason.
WHY THE MARTIAN MUST STAY
I have long professed that if Jasson Dominguez was never nicknamed “The Martian,” more New York Yankees fans would be bullish on his future. He’s not an “out-of-this-world” talent like he was billed, but he has shown the ability to hit from both sides of the plate, periodic flashes of power, and tremendous speed. Plus, his manager and teammates rave about his attitude and work ethic.
Despite that scouting report and two very productive stints this season in Triple A, he’s put himself in trade conversations by continuing to struggle defensively and being average offensively in his first 52 MLB games of 2026.
Now, in the past, this is where I would make an impassionate plea to keep my current favorite prospect in pinstripes. However, this time, I’m sticking with the facts. The New York Yankees have not reached the World Series without at least one switch-hitting outfielder since 1950!
1951 — Mickey Mantle
1952 — Mickey Mantle
1953 — Mickey Mantle
1955 — Mickey Mantle
1956 — Mickey Mantle
1957 — Mickey Mantle
1958 — Mickey Mantle
1960 — Mickey Mantle
1961 — Mickey Mantle
1962 — Mickey Mantle
1963 — Mickey Mantle
1964 — Mickey Mantle
1976 — Roy White
1977 — Roy White
1978 — Roy White
1981 — Jerry Mumphrey
1996 — Bernie Williams
1998 — Bernie Williams
1999 — Bernie Williams
2000 — Bernie Williams
2001 — Bernie Williams
2003 — Bernie Williams
2009 — Melky Cabrera
2024 — Jasson Dominguez
ALL-NEW YORK MOCK TRADE
The New York Yankees should trade P Luis Gil, P Chase Hampton, P Clarke Schmidt, and P Will Warren to the New York Mets in exchange for P Clay Holmes and P Luke Weaver.
The top of the Yankees rotation — Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, and Carlos Rodon — is as strong as any in the majors. All of them are under team control until at least 2028. That’s why I’m advocating for the Yankees to use their rotation depth to acquire two players with experience donning the pinstripes in high-pressure October moments.
From the Mets perspective, they would be acquiring three starters who have already proven themselves in the majors and one pitching prospect. Since they are on record as saying they want to compete in 2027, that fits their timeline better than trading Holmes and Weaver for a bushel of unproven prospects (i.e., the type of package the Yanks sent to the Nationals for Garcia Jr).
From the Yanks perspective, Weaver slots in immediately as the 8th-inning setup man, while Holmes goes into the starting rotation. Once the playoffs hit, Holmes goes back to the bullpen. Unlike putting Warren or Schmidt into the bullpen, Aaron Boone knows Holmes can handle the job.
It’s a win-win for both teams. I don’t expect it to happen, but it should.