The July 31 trade deadline -- recall there's only one trade deadline starting this season -- will be here sooner than you might think, and the Yankees are among those contenders making plans along those lines. For the Yankees, the rotation figures to be the most pressing need. That's especially the case after Domingo German landed on the 10-day IL on Sunday.
German's injury of course is in addition to the shoulder woes of ace Luis Severino, who's yet to see game action in 2019. While the Yankees are optimistic about getting Severino back for the second half, he can't be considered a known quantity for the time being. The Yanks recently missed out on signing free agent lefty Dallas Keuchel, who wound up signing a one-year deal with the Braves, so now they may turn to the trade market for rotation help.
Speaking of which, here's this scoop from Ken Davidoff of the New York Post:
They have spoken with the Blue Jays about starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, an industry source said, and they have scouted Giants veteran lefty Madison Bumgarner, whose contract gives him the right to block a trade to the Yankees.
Marcus Stroman, 28, has pitched to a 3.31 ERA/133 ERA+ in 81 2/3 innings this season. He's not eligible for free agency until after the 2020 season, so he'd be a multiyear fix for the Yankees, assuming the Blue Jays are willing to trade him within the division. As for Bumgarner, the 29-year-old lefty owns a 4.05 ERA/103 ERA+ in 80 innings this season. While the ERA isn't quite up to his usual standards, Bumgarner is presently running an impressive 4.94 K/BB ratio. He's in his walk year and is under contract for $12 million this season.
Davidoff in his piece names another couple of possible rotation solutions for the Yankees and also addresses what they might do if Dellin Betances is unable to return from injury as hoped.
Whatever the specifics, expect GM Brian Cashman and the Yankees to be solid buyers heading toward July 31.
