The Tuesday Discussion: How To Fix The Yankees

July 7, 2026

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This week we asked our writers to respond to the following:

What can the Yankees do to turn this season around and start winning again?  What is the remedy (if there is one)?

Here are their replies:

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Mike Whiteman - The first and best thing the Yankees can do to turn the season around is get healthy. If they can hang close until Aaron Judge and Max Fried come back, I think they still can take the AL East title. 

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Ed Botti - First and foremost, this team has to get healthy. Having Judge, Fried, Stanton and now Rodon out for extended periods are huge holes that few teams could survive.

Assuming they get those guys back or at least 2 of the 4 (Judge and Fried)  as I have been preaching since November, revamp the middle infield. It is probably the worst in the league, IMO. If a player such as CJ Abrams or Zeke Tovar (having a bad offensive year- but I see much more in that tank) are available at a fair price, I’d pull the trigger. I’d cut bait with Chisholm and move Caballero to 2^nd.

Next, I’d address my battery, most notable catcher. I wouldn’t get ripped off because he only has 3 months left before free agency, but I’d call the Twins about Ryan Jeffers. If that’s a no go and being realistic because I doubt Hunter Goodman or even Gabriel Moreno are available, a player like Victor Caratini, Sean Murphy, Christian Valaquez, or even a reuniting with Higgy or Trevino for the 2^nd half would be upgrades.

Finally, I’d improve my Bullpen, especially my right handers -- Doval and Bird. They are both the rare bullpen misses for Cashman. I am not sure if a blockbuster trade is realistic, or if the Mets would trade Weaver back to the Yanks (never should have left) but guys like Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Finnegan, or Chase Silseth would be improvements – if healthy.

If they wanted another lefty -- Jo Jo Romero would be a decent and attainable addition.

Obviously and needless to say because every team falls into this category, but adding an inning eating mid-rotation starter is always a good thing.

Of course, adding a top of the rotation arm like Tarik Skubal or even Joe Ryan would be great, but unless they address the above issues, those two won’t be enough, so why bother overpaying?

Unquestionably, the blockbuster is always a possibility, but not something Cashman likes to do mid-season, so don’t hold your breath!

So, (get healthy) dump dead weight, shore up my middle infield, improve my catching, and add to my bullpen. None of those players mentioned above can hurt and I believe are improvements.

BTW- I personally believe something we are not being told is wrong with Wells. So, I am not giving up or moving him. He is not nearly as ineffective as we see this season. Next year -- if they have a season, I’d get options and have a real competition at catcher and let him prove himself healthy or just a not up to the task of being an everyday MLB catcher. At that point, I’d make up my mind about his future with the Yanks, but there is something going on we are not privy to at this point.

Happy Birthday America!!!!

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Cary Greene - The Yankees need to make a managerial change. It might work, it might not.

It's beyond critical that the Yankees stay in contention for the remainder of the month, leading into the Trade Deadline. I'm ranking the firing of Aaron Boone to be the most important thing the team could do presently to help get the Yankees back on track. 

Seems like most teams are going to have a buyers mentality so we might see some trades between contending teams. The Yankees have some key needs, mainly they need a catcher who can hit, a right fielder, and they might want to DFA Ryan McMahaon, shift Jazz Chisolm over to third for the remainder of the season and see if they can trade for a second baseman like Luis Arraez. 

Names the Yankees might want to keep an eye on as the Deadline approaches positional targets like catchers Ryan Jeffers or Hunter Goodman, shortstop CJ Abrams, second baseman Luis Arraez or possibly Gleyber Torres and outfielders Seiya Suzuki, Lars Nootbar and Mickey Moniak will all find their names swirling in the Bronx trade winds of late July.  None of these players are going to save the Yankees season, but a combination of a few of them might help to bolster the team's sagging offense, which is presently desperate for production. 

On the pitching front, Tarik Skubal appears to be the name that every Yankees fan is focused on, but if we're being realistic here - the Yankees really can't afford to trade at the top of the market to fill all of their glaring needs. Yes, Skubal is arguably one of the best pitchers in baseball, but if the Yankees do target a starter it will likely have to be a far more affordable one like Micheal Wacha.

Bullpen options like Garrett Whitlock or perhaps Clay Holmes would be good fits for the Yankees. Josh Hader is another name to keep an eye on, but I doubt he'd be a good fit for the Yankees. Kind of have to pass on Aroldis Chapman ever being a Yankee again as well. 

Bottom line at the Trade Deadline? I'm in on Jeffers, Arraez, Whitlock and Holmes. Not a single prospect is off limits.

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John Nielsen - Here's my six-point plan to fix what's ailing the self-immolating, rapidly disintegrating New York Yankees as they enter a four-game series in Tampa Bay on July 6, 2026, trailing the Rays by four games.

At its core, this plan is about one thing: Accountability. This club also needs to recommit itself to pitching and defense because, without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, this team sure isn't going to outscore anybody.

1. Send a Message: Performance Matters

I've seen enough from Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, and Camilo Doval. I simply can't watch it anymore. None of the three is performing at a major league level.

All three are under team control. All three have minor league options. Therefore, all three should be optioned to Triple-A for a minimum of four weeks—or moved before the August 3 trade deadline.

The message from the front office must be unmistakable: From this point forward, every player is accountable for his performance. Every single player.

Borrowing from former General Electric CEO Jack Welch's famous "Bottom 10%" philosophy, the Yankees should immediately move on from their least productive performers. Nobody's job can be guaranteed.

Just as important as sending Volpe, Wells, and Doval down is who replaces them. Reward players who have earned an opportunity, not those living on reputation, draft status, contract value or options remaining.

2. Make Jose Caballero the Everyday Shortstop

Publicly declare Jose Caballero the Yankees' starting shortstop for the remainder of the 2026 season.

Anthony Volpe's opportunity has run its course.

This accomplishes two important objectives. First, it establishes Caballero as the organization's clear No. 1 option at shortstop. Second, it ends the nightly madness of Aaron Boone shuffling Cabby around the diamond, creating unnecessary defensive instability. It's been costing the Yankees games!

Caballero belongs at shortstop. Let him play it every day. If he performs, he keeps the job. If not, he'll be held to the same standard as everyone else.

3. Reward the Pitchers Who Have Earned It

Camilo Doval should be replaced by Yovanny Cruz, who should be permanently removed from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre shuttle.

Cruz has impressed during three separate call-ups, yet each opportunity has been cut short. It's time to stop the revolving door.

Give Yo a legitimate opportunity as a leverage reliever alongside David Bednar, Fernando Cruz, and Brent Headrick. Those are the pitchers I want on the mound when the game is on the line.

Paul Blackburn deserves consideration as well. He's earned the chance to pitch in higher leverage situations.

4. Trade for Tyler Stephenson

The catching position cannot be fixed internally.

Call up J.C. Escarra as a temporary patch while Brian Cashman works the phones.

The catcher I'd pursue has received surprisingly little attention, but I believe he's an ideal fit: Tyler Stephenson of Cincinnati.

If people like the idea of acquiring Ryan Jeffers, there's every reason to like Stephenson or even prefer him.

He's 29 years old, becomes a free agent after the season, has appeared in 626 major league games behind the plate, and was a former first-round draft pick. His career slash line of .258/.336/.420 (.756 OPS), along with a .330 wOBA and 103 wRC+, reflects a dependable, above-average offensive catcher. One who could immediately take over as your every-day receiver. 

Perhaps most importantly, he isn't returning from a broken hamate bone.

According to Baseball-Reference, Cincinnati's postseason odds sit at just 0.8%. The Reds aren't going anywhere, and they're unlikely to re-sign Stephenson this winter. They can be relatively easily incentivized to part with him.

I don't think it should cost this much, but I'd be willing to offer Elmer Rodriguez to get the deal done. Or, perhaps better (if you don't think Austin can be fixed): Rodriguez and Wells.

5. Make Jasson Dominguez the Full-Time DH

Jasson Dominguez has become a defensive liability in the outfield.

Until Judge or Stanton returns, I'd make Dominguez the everyday designated hitter.

This allows the Yankees to maximize their outfield defense by moving Cody Bellinger to his best position in left field, Trent Grisham to center, and platooning Oswaldo Cabrera and Max Schuemann in right.

Neither Cabrera nor Schuemann can be counted on to carry the offense, but both will catch the baseball. They won't throw to the wrong base, air-mail cutoff men, or lose routine fly balls in the sun because they inexplicably forgot their sunglasses in the dugout.

Major league teams that continually give opponents extra outs and free bases lose baseball games. It's really that simple.  Note, I'd be ok with Spencer Jones instead of Cabrera, I just don't think Jones can hit major league pitching at this point.

6. Enforce Accountability Every Single Day

From this point forward, mental mistakes must carry immediate consequences.

Any position player who gets picked off, throws to the wrong base, bunts with two outs and a runner on second, over slides a base, misses a cutoff man, or commits a passed ball or catcher's interference sits the following day. No exceptions.

If I have to call up five new Scranton RailRiders to make that happen, so be it.

Play major league baseball—or watch someone else do it.

The same standard applies to pitchers.

Fail to back up third base or home plate on an outfield throw, throw the ball away on a pickoff attempt, neglect to cover first base on a ground ball to the right side, surrender a home run after getting a hitter to two strikes?

Your day is over.

I don't care if you're throwing a perfect game or you're scheduled to pitch the ninth inning.

If you don't do your job, you sit.

It's that simple.

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Paul Semendinger - Borrowing from the answers above, all excellent answers by the way, I believe the first move is to bring in a new manager. I love the ideas about accountability. Performance matters. By sticking with a manager who is clearly over his head, the Yankees send a message throughout their entire organization that accountability does not matter. This is then reflected throughout.

Aaron Boone had his chance. He has had many chances. He has not been able to deliver. It's time to start a new direction.

Tim Kabel and I discussed much of this on the podcast last night, but there are a host of players that need to go as well. Jazz Chisholm has amazing talent, but he distracts more than he adds to a winning environment. Anthony Volpe has not shown he is a Major League shortstop. Ryan McMahon has never hit as a big leaguer...

The building of the team was also a problem. The Yankees did very little over the winter. To rely on Giancarlo Stanton being healthy was a fool's errand. To not expect Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon to struggle or spend time on the IL was simply hoping for the most unlikely scenarios.

We saw all of this before the season began. How could Brian Cashman also not see it? Firing the GM in July makes no sense because it would take a new person too much time to learn the system and make smart deals to save the season. Still, sticking with a GM who has not delivered is also a problem.

Big changes are needed, but it starts with the manager. That is obvious. The fact that it has not happened is a very real problem that will continue to haunt the Yankees.