Trade Deadline Recap

By James Vlietstra

August 3, 2025

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NOTE - James wrote this immediately following the deadline. We have had a ton of content and we are getting it all posted as quickly as we can.

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Microsoft Copilot

For the last several years, the fans of the New York Yankees have been disappointed. The team has underwhelmed. I remember refreshing Twitter hoping to see an upgrade that just never came. In fact, the most enjoyable trade deadline in recent memory was 2016 when they were actually sellers and restocked the farm system and promoted several young players. Other than that, they have made some small improvements but not much of significance.

So was this year going to be any different?  Last week they had made some additions that were already paying dividends. But nothing that was earth shattering. I was listening to sports talk radio in the morning and there were some rumors but mostly just the hosts with their absurd suggestions. 

Then the action started. It was fast and furious. I follow all the national baseball reporters and they did not disappoint. It was one of the most active trade deadlines ever. The Yankees made several high profile trades. I’m sure that there’s several others writing about each particular trade. So Instead, I will just give an overall overview and discuss how it will impact the team’s future. 

Here are the incoming players and their contract status as well as other incoming assets:

• INF Amed Rosario. Free agent at the end of the year 

• OF Austin Slater. Free agent at the end of the year. 

• RHP David Bednar. Earning $5.9M in arbitration. One more year of arbitration. 

• RHP Camilo Doval. Earning $4.5M in arbitration. Two more years of arbitration. 

• 3B Ryan McMahon. Earning $12M this year. Two more years, both at $16M. 

• RHP Jake Bird. Pre-arbitration this year. Has three arbitration years left. 

• INF Jose Caballero. Pre-arbitration this year. Has four arbitration years left. 

• OF Wilberson De Peña. He’s an 18 year old playing in the DSL. 

• International Pool money. Likely will be used on Wandy Asigen. 

• Cash. 

• Player To Be Named Later. 

These are the players who are leaving the system, along with their MLB Pipeline team ranking and the level they played at for the Yankees. 

• LHP Griffin Herring. #8 A+

• C/1B Rafael Flores #8 AAA

• 2B   Roc Riggio  #10 AA

• OF Everson Pereira #13 AAA, 40-man

• C  Edgleen Perez  #14  A-

• RHP Trystan Vrieling  #19  AA

• RHP Josh Grosz  #21  A+

• C/3B Jesus Rodriguez  #25. AAA, 40-man

• LHP Ben Shields  #28  AA

• RHP Clayton Beeter  AAA, 40-man

• INF Oswald Peraza MLB, 40-man

• OF Bryan de la Cruz AAA, 40-man

• RHP Carlos Carrasco AAA

• INF Parks Harber A+

• OF Browm Martinez DSL

• LHP Carlos de la Rosa DSL

In order to acquire these seven new Major Leaguers, they had to jettison the five members of the 40-man roster, transfer Clarke Schmidt to the 60-Day IL, and option JC Escarra, Jorbit Vivas, Ian Hamilton, and Yerry de Los Santos all to the minors. 

The Yankees minor league system took a major hit to its depth, but there’s not a single move I would not have done. In fact, three of the centerpieces of the trades were UDFA that the system was able to develop. The minor league’s purpose is to provide assets for the big league club. The system came through in a big way.  I’m now expecting lots of players advancing to the next level as well as some of this year’s draftees to make their debuts. 

The Yankees system came into the season ranked around the middle. They clearly have advanced significantly since then. All these trades were accomplished without dealing away any of their top talent. I believe that up to 6-8 of the players traded away could get an opportunity this season in the Majors that they would not have gotten with the Yankees. 

Eleven of the players traded away have already made the MLB Pipeline top 30 for their new team:

• Colorado Rockies: Griffey Herring (5), Roc Riggio (11), Josh Grosz (19), and Ben Shields *(27)

• White Sox: Gage Ziehl (14)

• Tampa Rays: Everson Pereira (17)

• Washington Nationals: Clayton Beeter (24)

• Pittsburgh Pirates: Rafael Flores (11), and Edgleen Perez (15)

• San Francisco Giants: Jesus Rodriguez (16, and Carlos de la Tosa (24)

Of these, I believe several of them will be serviceable players. Herring and de la Rosa are the two that could really become stars that we will be wanting back one day. 

So what have the Yankees accomplished?

• Well, they finally found the third baseman that has eluded them for years.

• Their bullpen could be one of the best ever assembled, adding velocity and strikeout percentage.  

• Their bench has improved markedly with better depth, speed and defense.

• And with so many players under team control beyond this year, most of their heavy lifting for the winter is done already. 

There is going to be a numbers crunch in the near future. Luis Gil will be returning to the rotation and he will need to be removed from the 60-day IL. Four more players are on their way back from injury: Fernando Cruz, Mark Leiter Jr, Ryan Yarbrough, and Aaron Judge. Some of the potential candidates to be DFA’d are JT Brubaker, Marcus Stroman, Braden Shewmake, and Slater. 

I would also be open to the idea of promoting a couple of minor league players who need to be protected from the Rule 5 draft, if I feel they are ready and can help. Players like Brendan Beck and Spencer Jones.  Including Beck and Jones, the Yankees have nine top 30 prospects eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason: TJ Rumfield, Eric Reyzelman, Henry LaLane, Chase Hampton, Harrison Cohen, Brock Selvidge, and Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz. Allen Facundo is another player that they may consider protecting.

The Yankees are 3.5 games out of first place in the American League East. With all their recent additions along with many of their final third opponents were sellers this week, I believe they are going to have a very successful close of the regular season. They are built to have success in the playoffs which means they very likely will be returning to the World Series, trying to win it all for only the second time in 25 years. 

One last thing - I would strongly support would be a six week quiet period directly following the World Series. Announce all the award winners and celebrate their accomplishments. Then on the first day of the Winter Meetings, the Signing Period opens. Similar to the trade deadline, there would be a solid week in the winter with nonstop breaking news about new signings and all the excitement that comes with each new announcement. That’s be good for the sport.