About The All-Star Break: Down the Stretch They Come

About The All-Star Break: Down the Stretch They Come

By Tim Kabel

July 17, 2026

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The Yankees start the nominal second half of the season tonight. They will open a three-game series at home against the Dodgers. Starting pitchers had not been named at the time this article was being written. Let's just say that the Dodgers will be a far tougher opponent than the Nationals were last weekend. Although we say the Yankees are opening the second half of the season, that is not numerically accurate. They have already played 96 games. They have 66 games left.

Right now, the Yankees are in second place in the American League East, three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays. They are seven games ahead of the Boston Red Sox, who have suddenly gotten hot. The Yankees have the second-best record in the American League. In the National League, the Braves, Brewers, and Dodgers all have better records than the Yankees and the Phillies have the same record as the Yankees.

The Yankees are still without Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt. Fried seems likely to be the first one to return. The others have uncertain return dates. It is unclear if Stanton will return at all, and Schmidt probably won't be back until the end of August or the beginning of September.

The Yankees have needs as they approach the August 3rd trade deadline. The most glaring needs seem to be at catcher and arms in the bullpen. An upgrade at third base would be nice but might not be possible at this point. I'm not sure who the Yankees will acquire. However, I do know one thing. I don't want to see them unload a bunch of prospects for a short-term solution.

Unless and until Aaron Judge returns fully healthy, it really won't matter who the Yankees acquire. Therefore, if they are going to get someone, it should be someone who will be with the team beyond this season. Picking up someone such as Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers doesn't make a lot of sense. He is coming off an injury and it is unclear how effective he will be, and he will also be a free agent at the end of the year. 

Instead, I would like to see the Yankees make a trade with the Dodgers for catcher Dalton Rushing. He is a young, left-handed hitting catcher. He is playing now because Matt Smith is injured but Matt Smith was signed to a very lengthy contract by the Dodgers and is clearly their number one catcher. The Dodgers are reportedly looking for pitching to help in their rotation and possibly the bullpen. I would suggest that the Yankees offer Ryan Weathers and Austin Wells to the Dodgers in exchange for Rushing. Wells would be a more than adequate backup for Smith and could hold down the fort until Smith returns from the IL. Weathers who has not yet delivered on the tremendous potential everyone thinks he has, may be intriguing to the Dodgers. In that environment, he may flourish.  

Rushing is considered to be a fiery player who can be a bit of a hothead and a tough competitor. I fondly remember another Yankees catcher who had a similar reputation. In fact, I remember a couple of them. Rushing could take over the catching duties with Ali Sanchez remaining as his backup not only for the rest of this season but for several years to come. I think it would be an excellent fit for the Yankees. I know some people may say that Wells and Weathers isn't a tremendous package but remember the Yankees gave up four prospects for Weathers earlier this year. In addition, Rushing is still relatively unproven. He is the backup catcher for the Dodgers. Sending them a proven defensive Major League catcher in Wells in a highly regarded pitcher in Weathers would seem to be sufficient.

There is another rumored trade that I would encourage the Yankees to make. They have been linked to Mason Miller, the All-Star closer for the Padres. He was traded last year from Oakland to San Diego. The Yankees were linked to him in trade rumors last season but did not acquire him. Miller will not be a free agent until after the 2029 season. I'm not sure what the Padres would want but acquiring Miller would be a tremendous move by the Yankees. Again, this season is up in the air based on the status of Aaron Judge and others but having Miller as the cornerstone of the bullpen would be incredible. The Yankees could then continue to develop bullpen arms in the minor leagues, including Carlos Lagrange when he returns from the IL.

I am sure the Yankees will have to give up prospects to get Miller but that would be worth the risk and the cost because Miller is not a rental player, and he is a very special talent. The Yankees don't need to acquire players like Austin Slater the way they did last year. If they are going to acquire someone from another team, it should be someone who can fill a significant role now and in the future.

I would also not be opposed to the Yankees trading players on their own roster who will become free agents at the end of the season. For example, if they can get some prospects or a useful piece for Jazz Chisholm or Trent Grisham, they should make both of those trades. If they can find someone to take Camilo Doval, they should definitely do that even though he won't be a free agent until after next season.  As far as David Bednar goes, it depends. If the Yankees do acquire Miller, Bednar becomes an extremely effective setup man. In fact, if he were willing to come back in that role, the Yankees should consider signing him to a longer-term contract. If the Yankees don't acquire Miller, then they would definitely need to keep Bednar.

Now that the Yankees are starting their stretch run, they need to make moves with both short-term and long-term goals in mind. Gutting the farm system for short-term rentals while Aaron Judge and other significant players are on the IL would not seem to be very prudent. Acquiring players that can help now and, in the future, might be a better way to go.