PROJECTING THE PLAYOFF ROSTER
Too early? For us, yes. But not for Brian Cashman. With the August 3 MLB Trade Deadline less than seven weeks away, he needs to put together a list of his most pressing needs.
To help him out, we are projecting the New York Yankees’ 26-man playoff roster — using players currently in the organization. Our one assumption is that everyone will be healthy by October.
PROJECTED POSITION PLAYERS (14)
Playoff Lineup vs Righties
- Trent Grisham, CF (L)
- Ben Rice, 1B (L)
- Aaron Judge, RF (R)
- Cody Bellinger, LF (L)
- Jazz Chisholm, 2B (L)
- Giancarlo Stanton, DH (R)
- Ryan McMahon, 3B (L)
- Austin Wells, C (L)
- Jose Caballero, SS (R)
Playoff Lineup vs Lefties
- Paul Goldschmidt, 1B (R)
- Ben Rice, C (L)
- Aaron Judge, RF (R)
- Cody Bellinger, LF (L)
- Giancarlo Stanton, DH (R)
- Jazz Chisholm, 2B (L)
- Amed Rosario, 3B (R)
- Trent Grisham, CF (L)
- Jose Caballero, SS (R)
Additional Reserves
- JC Escarra, C (L)
- Anthony Volpe, SS (R)
- Jasson Dominguez, OF (S)
Missed the Cut
- Ali Sanchez, C (R)
- George Lombard Jr, INF (R)
- Oswaldo Cabrera, UTIL (B)
- Max Schuemann, UTIL (R)
- Spencer Jones, OF (L)
Lineup Analysis
My projection has McMahon and Rosario sharing 3B in a traditional platoon. Meanwhile, the Yankees would utilize Rice’s ability to catch to platoon Goldschmidt and Wells. There’s still plenty of season left for Cabrera, Schuemann, and Jones to challenge Volpe and Dominguez for the reserve spots.
PROJECTED PLAYOFF PITCHERS (12)
Starting Rotation
- Gerrit Cole, SP (R)
- Max Fried, SP (L)
- Cam Schlittler, SP (R)
- Carlos Rodon, SP (L)
Bullpen
- David Bednar, RP (R)
- Camilo Doval, RP (R)
- Tim Hill, RP (L)
- Fernando Cruz, RP (R)
- Brent Hendrick, RP (L)
- Will Warren, SP (R)
- Ryan Weathers, SP (L)
- Carlos Lagrange, SP (R)
Missed the Cut
- Clarke Schmidt, SP (R)
- Luis Gil, SP (R)
- Elmer Rodriquez, SP (R)
- Ryan Yarbrough, RP (L)
- Paul Blackburn, RP (R)
- Jake Bird, RP (R)
- Angel Chivilli, RP (R)
Pitching Analysis
If healthy, the starting rotation is a Capital One Bank decision. The depth of the Yankees rotation is evident when you see that we list three current starters in the bullpen — Warren, Weathers, and minor league fireballer Lagrange. Plus, that doesn’t include three starters who missed the cut — minor league ace Rodriguez and rehabbing veterans Gil and Schmidt.
TRADE TARGETS
Positions of Need
- Catcher — Manager Aaron Boone has been reluctant to use Rice at catcher this season. Understandable — considering he’s still learning how to be an everyday first-baseman and he’s already the Yankees second most important hitter. If he remains unwilling in the late summer, Cashman is going to have to acquire a right-handed hitting catcher to either platoon with, or replace Wells as the starter.
- Third Base — I am convinced that the Yankees will scour the market for an upgrade on their current McMahon/Rosario platoon. However, I am not convinced that they will pull the trigger. They still love McMahon’s defense, and he does have one more year left on his contract. Plus, there is still hope that Volpe hits well enough to make Caballero an option at third.
- Bullpen — Could Warren become the next Phil Hughes? Lagrange the next Joba Chamberlin? Going further back, could Weathers become the next Ramiro Mendoza? Of course it’s possible, but I think this is where the Yankees take a big swing to either bring in a closer to push Bednar to the 8th inning, or to find him a reliable set-up man.
Catching Targets
- Dillon Dingler, C, Detroit Tigers — There’s a lot of noise about the Tigers willingness to deal the 27-year-old power hitting catcher, but most seems to be coming from fan-based media and not Detroit insiders.
- Ryan Jeffers, C, Minnesota Twins — Unfortunately for all parties, Jeffers, 28, hurt his wrist in May, but is expected to return around the trade deadline. If acquired, he would assume the #1 catcher’s job with Wells sliding in as a backup.
- Christian Vazquez, C, Houston Astros — With the Astros surprisingly 8 games under .500 in mid-June, the 35-year-old finds himself in the MLB rumor mill. He’s the least sexy of the three options, but the former Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins catcher has played in 31 playoff games and two World Series.
Third Base Targets
- Willy Adames, SS, San Francisco Giants — Adames was reportedly a fallback option for the Yankees while they were waiting for Juan Soto to make his free agent decision in 2024 — prior to signing a 7-year, $182m contract with the Giants. The Yankees wanted the 30-year-old to play 3B. If the Giants are willing to take on Ryan McMahon’s contract this could be an option.
- Isaac Paredes, 3B, Houston Astros — Another Astro makes this list. Paredes, 27, has been linked to the Bombers in the past, and the right-handed hitter would be a platoon candidate with McMahon.
- Gleyber Torres, 2B, Detroit Tigers — Unlike Adames, who has five years left on his contract, Torres is on an expiring deal. Now, that he’s experienced life outside of pinstripes, would he be willing to play 3B? Torres, who doesn’t turn 30 until December, had a .795 OPS in 198 playoff plate appearances with the Bombers.
Bullpen Targets
- Aroldis Chapman, RP, Boston Red Sox — The mercurial lefty is having a monster season at the age of 38 — allowing only one earned run in 21 games. However, there is still animosity over how his seven-year Yankees career ended in 2022, making a reunion unlikely.
- Carlos Estevez, RP, Kansas City Royals — Will the 33-year-old righty get off the injured list prior to the deadline? Estevez, who had 42 saves a year ago, has been battling foot and shoulder injuries in 2026. If healthy, he’d be a very attractive option as he has a club option for 2027 at $13m left on his contract.
- Josh Hader, RP, Houston Astros — Trading Hader would be the nuclear option for the Astros, but if they are looking at a short retool, they might make the 6x All Star available despite having two seasons left on his 5-year/$95m deal. Still only 32, he has a career 1.64 ERA in 22 playoff innings.
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