My Deranged Trade Deadline Plan

By EJ Fagan

July 29, 2026

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Last week, I wrote out my realistic trade deadline plan. But what if did this a little more like a Wild West fantasy baseball movie? Here’s my deranged plan.

Step 1: Yankees Acquire Hunter Goodman from the Rockies for George Lombard Jr.

Hunter Goodman has been one of the best hitting catchers in the league in 2026:

Unlike a lot of Rockies, Goodman is actually better on the road. He’s also 26 years old, under team control for three and a half more seasons and might have some room to improve on defense. He’s a stud who provides probably the biggest possible upgrade for the Yankees at the deadline. His xwOBA numbers are a little softer than his real numbers this year, but that was just due to a bad slump in May. He’s been excellent for more than two months now.

That’s why he will cost George Lombard Jr. Goodman will rightfully pull in top dollar. The Rockies badly need a long term shortstop. The trade makes some sense.

But that means that the Yankees are giving up their best shortstop. How do we fill that void?

Trade #2 solves the problem.

Step 2: Yankees Acquire Luis Arraez, Willy Adames and Jung Hoo Lee for Anthony Volpe, Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos LaGrange

You know about Arraez. But what about Adames and Lee? Here’s Adames so far:

Not pretty, I know. But the numbers get better when you did in a bit. Adames had a brutal April, posting a .593 OPS. Since then, he’s been vintage Willy Adames with a .761 OPS, albeit with a high slug, low on base line. He’s also been killed by San Francisco’s home ballpark, which is notoriously tough on right handed hitters (.790 OPS away in 2026). I’ll cross my fingers and hope that the OAA numbers are an anomaly; Adames was great last year.

Adames’ contract is bad enough that the Giants will want to dump him but not so bad that he’s an albatross: five more seasons at a $26 million AAV ($31 million in real salary).

Jung Hoo Lee might be a harder sell for the Giants. I remember loving him when he was a 25 year-old free agent from the KBO, but thinking that the Giants were crazy to sign him to a $113 million contract ($18 million AAV, backloaded) with opt outs. Turns out he’s been a below average centerfielder on defense and a poor mans Luis Arraez on offense:

Unlike Adames, Lee’s contract probably has some value left in it. That’s why the Yankees need to throw a few real prospects into the trade.

Step 3: Jazz Chisholm for Prospects and/or Relief pitching

Chisholm has no place to play with Arraez, a better hitter and defender this season, on the team. I initially had Chisholm moving to the outfield, but I think it’s cleaner to just trade him for whatever you can get. He either goes directly to some team for a relief pitcher or for some prospects that you could flip for relief pitching.

My Post-Deadline Team

Imagine these playoff lineups. Against RHP:

• 2b Luis Arraez

• RF Aaron Judge

• 1b Ben Rice

• C Hunter Goodman

• LF Cody Bellinger

• DH Jung Hoo Lee

• SS Willy Adames

• CF Trent Grisham

• 3b Ryan McMahon

Against LHP:

• 2b Luis Arraez

• RF Aaron Judge

• DH Ben Rice

• C Hunter Goodman

• LF Cody Bellinger

• 1b Paul Goldschmidt

• CF Jung Hoo Lee

• SS Willy Adames

• 3b Amed Rosario

Crazy? Ye it is. The Giants blockbuster doesn’t happen. But it sure would be fun.