What Comes Next: Trade Targets

By Andy Singer

January 26th, 2026

Raise your hand if you think that Cody Bellinger is the last move the Yankees have planned for this offseason? OK, save for the most pessimistic among us, I don't see many hands. For those of you that have not raised their hands, I'm with you; I think the Yankees have one move left in them before Spring Training. The Yankees, depending on your perspective, still have holes around the diamond to fill. Depending on how you rank them or view them, the list is as follows:

1. Bullpen, preferably a back-end, high-octane arm

2. Starting Pitcher

3. Infielder, preferably a contact-oriented, right-handed hitter (though they could pivot for the right piece)

4. Right-handed hitting catcher

After their acquisition of Cody Bellinger, the Yankees have a surplus of outfielders. I am not necessarily saying that I would trade one of Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones, but there's little doubt but that the Yankees could get a useful piece for the 2026 roster were they to part with one of those guys.

I wouldn't be shocked if there are teams that believe that Dominguez can handle CF, but there are almost certainly more who believe that he profiles better in RF than in LF. In any case, I am sure that most teams believe that he'll hit from the left-side. Spencer Jones profiles in either a corner or CF, comes with significantly more experience in the upper minors than many of the rookies projected to roam MLB outfields at the moment, and has truly explosive raw talent, regardless of how likely you feel he'll be able to get to it in games (I remain fairly skeptical, though his performance prior to a back injury gave me a bit more hope).

With that as a backdrop, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some realistic trade partners for those players.

The Mets

We already know that the Yankees and Mets are infrequent trade partners, though I wonder if there has been a thaw to that policy since the Wilpon ownership group gave way to Cohen's abundance of money and David Stearns' empirical pragmatism. If the season started tomorrow, the Mets would begin the season with the injury-prone Luis Robert in CF, and top prospect, Carson Benge, with less than 250 PA in AA/AAA, in LF. We also know that Juan Soto is not exactly Aaron Judge defensively in RF. I find it difficult to believe that the Mets wouldn't want to add a good outfielder before the end of the offseason. Dominguez and Jones both fit the bill as guys I'm sure the Mets would be interested in adding to their roster.

Right now, they have multiple interesting players who are on the outside looking in at playing time:

• Brett Baty, 2B/3B/OF

• Mark Vientos, 3B/1B

• Ronny Mauricio, IF/OF

• Luis Torrens, C

Brett Baty is a guy who is well past the age at which he was a hyped prospect, but he started to put the pieces together last season a hitter. He hit the ball harder more consistently than in any other time in his big league career, closer to what he looked like as a minor league prospect racing through the minors. He made enough contact to get to his power with frequency, and as a left-handed hitter, you could imagine Yankee Stadium as an ideal spot for him. He plays an adequate 3B, can moonlight at 2B, and the Mets are threatening to put him in LF, which has very little shot at working on short-notice. I'm sure they'd sell on Baty this offseason.

Vientos is not a premium defender at 3B or 1B, but he also won't kill you in either spot. He hits right-handed, though there is a fair amount of swing-and-miss and chase to his game, hence the volatile offensive profile. However, even at his worst, he is an impactful bat against left-handed pitching and the upside is quite high.

Ronny Mauricio was a very recent high-end prospect whose career has been derailed by recent injuries. He's only played a handful of pro games the last two seasons, all of which came in 2025 when he was clearly trying to regain his sea-legs. It's top-of-the-scale power, with some real chase issues that blunt his top-end projection. That said, Mauricio is very likely to get to a lot of power and is a true switch-hitter, which is becoming much rarer. Defensively, Mauricio is likely best at 3B with skills that should play nicely there with more time, though he also has experience at SS, 2B, and LF.

Torrens is a former Yankee prospect who was around briefly again last year before being beaten out by Escarra for the backup catcher role. Torrens remembered how to throw again for the first time since TJS a decade ago, and was very valuable for that reason, though he also makes a lot of contact against left-handed pitching. He's not a likely trade piece, but he's worth mentioning here.

The Cardinals

The Cardinals are rebuilding and would surely love either of the Yankees' outfielders (and then some) as core pieces of their rebuild. The Yankees and Cards have matched up for deals in the past, and I think they fit quite well right now. The core targets for the Yankees are as follows:

• Brendan Donovan, UTIL

• JoJo Romero, LHRP

• Nolan Gorman, INF

I've written about Donovan numerous times over the last year and a half. The Cardinals' window for contention is beyond Donovan's period of team control, and he's one of their best trade chips. I've noted it in the past, but Donovan's batted ball profile is uniquely suited for Yankee Stadium in much the same way as Cody Bellinger. As good as Donovan has been the last couple of years, his performance has another gear if he played half of his games at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees already have a 2B and LF, but I could see Donvoan manning some combination of SS and 3B for half a year while the team waits to see how everything else shakes out (Volpe's return, McMahon's swing overhaul, etc.). Donovan's style of play fits the Yankee lineup so well, it's almost shocking he's not a Yankee yet.

Romero is not necessarily the profile of reliever I think the Yankees should be looking for, but his profile fits the reliever archetype the team has targeted in recent years: a guy who moves the ball around with sinkers, sliders, and change-ups and hunts soft contact. He's quite good at it, and given that the Yankees already obtained some firepower last trade deadline, Romero would fit in the mix at the back of the bullpen.

Gorman is a definite change-of-scenery candidate. The offensive talent is clear, but some fluky injuries and bouncing around the infield have led to offensive stagnation over the last two seasons. I've long liked Gorman's fit in NY, and I think he'd be passable at 3B.

No impact right-handed bats, but I think there's a deal to make here for some combination of Romero and Gorman/Donovan, with one of Dominguez or Jones as the centerpiece of a deal.

The Cubs

The Cubs have an overabundance of infielders; the Yankees have an overabundance of outfielders. The fit is fairly clear. The Cubs lost Kyle Tucker and are set to play Seiya Suzuki everyday in the outfield, something I'm sure the Cubs would like to avoid. There are two clear targets:

• Nico Hoerner, INF

• Matt Shaw, INF

I've written a ton about Hoerner; he's an obvious fit, and maybe the best fit out there for the Yankee roster. He makes contact from the right-side, plays outstanding defense at 2B, SS, and 3B, and likely has his price depressed a bit by his pending free agency. Hoerner is a slam dunk for the Yankees.

Matt Shaw really came on as a young player in the 2nd half last year, and he's totally displaced this year. The Cubs are reportedly having him take reps in the outfield in offseason training, but that's far from ideal. Speed, power from the right side, and good defense at 3B are Shaw's calling card. There's pretty clearly a deal to make here if the Cubs like one of Dominguez or Jones. The more I think about Shaw, the more sense he might make.

The Mariners

Seattle has spent the offseason largely sitting on their hands in a more frustrating way for their fanbase than even the Yankees. The Mariners, on paper, are desperate for offense in the outfield. To get, you have to give. The Mariners are flush with pitching, so they fit from that perspective:

• Andres Munoz, RHRP

• Matt Brash, RHRP

• Gabe Speier, LHRP

• Luis Castillo, RHSP

Munoz, Brash, and Speier all do the same thing: they strike guys out in bunches and dominate in the late innings. Munoz comes with the least team control, but he's also the best of the bunch. All 3 fit the Yankee bullpen beautifully, though even for Munoz, Dominguez or Jones might be a bit rich.

The Yankees have had interest in Castillo in the past, and he remains an excellent SP. I'm not sure the Yankees need more starting pitching, but if they were able to get the Mariners to pair Castillo with one of the three aforementioned relievers, things get very interesting. Is there a framework to be had with some collection of Gil/Warren/Dominguez/Jones as the core of the return?

Conclusion

The Yankees have trade pieces with Bellinger back in the fold, and an abundance of trade partners. I would be surprised if there isn't a move coming before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. Cashman has found ways to pull a fast one in the past, but I would be similarly surprised if a trade of Jones or Dominguez didn't bring back one of the names above.