YANKEES & THE PIRATES ARE KNEE DEEP IN IT

Things are about to get spicy in the Bronx—and it’s only July 20th. Buckle up, because the Yankees’ front office is about to be drowning in trade rumors, pitching possibilities, and infield dilemmas. But will they actually do anything? Unclear. 

Of course, that’s how this time of year always goes: 12 days of chaos, 400 tweets a minute, and 0 people who actually know anything. Let’s just be real—when it comes to “inside info,” most baseball insiders are just tossing darts blindfolded and hoping one hits a trade target. That said... I’ve come around on Jon Heyman. Yes, I’ve screamed at his tweets. Yes, I’ve called him names I won’t repeat here. But deep down, the guy’s not bad. He means well. And in this Wild West of baseball rumors, “meaning well” is practically sainthood.

According to Heyman, the Yankees and Pirates have been in steady trade conversations, and the potential player mix is interesting, if not tantalizing. Mitch Keller? Yes please. David Bednar and Dennis Santana out of the 'pen? Interesting. Ke’Bryan Hayes or even... IKF again? Now you're speaking Cashman’s love language—versatility and good vibes. One team for all our needs. Is that Cashman being smart or lazy? I can't tell.

Let’s talk Mitch Keller for a second. Sure, he’s rocking a 3-10 record, but don’t let that fool you. Pittsburgh’s offense has been sleepier than a rain delay in extra innings. Keller’s ERA sits at 3.48. The guy can pitch—he just needs a team that can score more than 1.6 runs every fourth start.

As for the infield help, the Yankees must do something. DJ LeMahieu is aging like milk, Oswaldo Cabrera is injured, and the Volpe situation is... well, we’ve discussed that mess before. Enter Ke’Bryan Hayes, a slick defender with little pop. Or... bring back Isiah Kiner-Falefa?

Yeah, I said it. IKF. The guy is hitting .279 with a glove that could snatch a fly out of mid-air. But here’s the catch: Yankee fans roasted this man. They turned him into a scapegoat buffet. If I’m IKF, I’m sipping a cold drink and saying, “Nah, I’m good, thanks.” And honestly, who could blame him?

Still, talks between Pittsburgh and the Yankees are real. The need is obvious. And the deadline clock is ticking louder every hour. Whether Cashman finally pulls off a deal worth remembering—or just dusts off his usual "we tried, not much out there" speech—remains to be seen.

But for now, just remember: the rumors are flying, the insiders are guessing, and we’re all refreshing Twitter like it’s our full-time job. Welcome to July baseball.

WILL THE YANKEES & DIAMONDBACKS MAKE A NICE TRADE SWAP?

The MLB trade deadline is approaching — also known as the time of year when Brian Cashman emerges from his executive cave, squints into the sunlight, and assures Yankees fans yet again that he's "aware" the team needs help. And then, just as predictably, he’ll pull the same rabbit out of his hat: a shrug, a waiver claim, and a well-rehearsed line — “It was hard to make moves, there wasn’t a lot out there.” Sound familiar? He claims he's gonna go to town, but will he?

Look, Yankee fans know the game. We’ve heard this one before. But this year, the stakes feel a little different. The infield is a mess, the offense is sputtering, and the urgency is downright palpable. Which brings us to one name that keeps popping up like a whack-a-mole at Yankee Stadium: Eugenio Suárez.

 
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees have officially inquired about the Diamondbacks' third baseman. Suárez, who’s got pop, veteran presence, and just enough contract flexibility to not scare off Cashman’s risk-averse heart, makes a lot of sense. He'd instantly be one of the more dangerous bats in the Yankees infield — which, let's face it, is currently being held together by tape, hope, and a prayer.

But as usual, there’s a hitch: Arizona is still “undecided” on whether they even want to deal him. Less than two weeks out from the deadline and they're sitting on the fence like it's a luxury suite.

Now, Suárez isn’t the only desert dweller the Yankees have their eye on. Reports are the Yankees also sent scouts to watch Diamondbacks starters Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Gallen is particularly intriguing, especially since he's pitching like a man who forgot how to pitch — sporting a 5.40 ERA and a 22.2% strikeout rate this season. That could mean he’s available at a discount, which practically has Cashman foaming at the mouth.

In case the Suárez deal fizzles (which we know is very possible because: Cashman), the Yankees have also reportedly checked in on Ke’Bryan Hayes of the Pirates. Great glove, can’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. Hayes would be the defensive upgrade, sure, but at the plate? Let’s just say, if strikeouts were base hits, he’d be batting .400. I don't think that helps us.

Now here’s where things get dicey. Everyone knows the Yankees need to do something. But desperation makes people do stupid things — like trade away their top young talent. If the Yankees decide to go full panic mode and send George Lombard Jr. or Spencer Jones packing just to land a guy on an expiring deal, then we’ve learned nothing from the past ten years. That’s the kind of short-sighted move that haunts franchises.

Bottom line: the Yankees are at a crossroads. The roster needs a spark. The front office needs a wake-up call. And the fanbase? We just need Brian Cashman to do something meaningful for once — before the deadline, not after the excuses roll in.

Tick tock, Brian. Tick. Tock.

REAL TALK OF A DEFENSIVE UPGRADE AT THIRD FOR THE YANKEES

Can someone check the calendar? Because it’s July, and somehow we’re still having the same “Yankees need to upgrade the infield” conversation we had back in March. At this point, it’s not just a roster flaw—it’s a running gag. The front office knows it. The fans know it. Your grandma probably knows it. But instead of fixing it, the Yankees are stuck in this weird holding pattern, trying to squeeze the last few drops of usefulness out of DJ LeMahieu and giving Oswald Peraza just enough playing time to keep his baseball instincts from evaporating.

It’s a sad state of affairs when the media is doing a better job identifying this team’s needs than the decision-makers in the Bronx. Honestly, just let Peraza play consistently already. Yeah, his bat hasn’t exploded yet, but that comes with reps. Give him a real shot—sink or swim. Worst case? He hits like Austin Wells, who somehow still punches in every day despite an OPS that screams “bench me.” I swear, if I have to watch Wells flail through one more lifeless at-bat, I’m filing a formal complaint. .217 and counting. It’s pathetic.

Now the rumor mill is cranking again, and here comes a familiar name: Ke’Bryan Hayes. The Pirates third baseman is back on the Yankees' radar, and I’ll admit—it’s intriguing. Defensively, he’s a freak. Human vacuum cleaner at third. Gold Glover.

 

Leads all third basemen in Defensive Runs Saved. If defense wins championships, this dude’s a cornerstone.

But then you look at his bat... yikes. His OPS is hanging out in the basement with Austin Wells’ batting average. You can't ignore that. The Yankees already have enough offensive black holes—do they really need another?

Still, you can’t deny Hayes fits a real need. He’d shore up the left side of the infield like concrete, and there’s a sweet sentimental angle too—his dad is Charlie Hayes, the same Charlie who caught the final out of the ’96 World Series. That’s baseball poetry. Between Ke’Bryan and Cody Bellinger, this could be a “sons of Yankees legends” summer revival tour.

The Pirates might bite if the Yankees dangle enough juicy prospects. The question is—does Cashman have the stones to make a real move? Or are we just going to keep patching holes and praying for miracles? Or do we just stay?

Yankees fans are out here watching the same broken record spin on repeat. It’s time for action. Time to stop pretending the infield is “fine.” It’s not. Make the trade. Shake things up. And for the love of Mo, stop playing Austin Wells. 

IF THE YANKS DON'T TRADE FOR A 3RD BASEMAN, THEY'LL BE FINE

Ah yes, here we go again. Another day, another baseless rumor linking Nolan Arenado to the Yankees. You’d think this would have died down by now, but somehow, someway, we keep hearing whispers about it—except, well, there’s no actual chatter. The only place really pushing this narrative seems to be Fansided. And let’s be honest, they’re just throwing stuff at the wall for clicks at this point in my opinion.

This spring, we were told that third base was DJ LeMahieu’s to lose. Well, he lost it. Now, instead of looking at the most logical option in my opinion, Oswald Peraza—a natural shortstop who makes total sense at third... reports are the Yankees seem to be favoring Oswaldo Cabrera. Look, Cabrera’s a great utility guy, but Peraza fits better at third and he's solid on that side of the infield. That’s just my opinion, but hey, what do I know?

So then what happened next was Fansided suggested that Aaron Boone said something about a potential trade for a third baseman before Opening Day. Except—spoiler alert—he didn’t. Anyone who’s paid attention to Boone knows that when he talks, it’s just noise. He never actually says anything meaningful. But that didn’t stop Fansided from twisting his words into some grand theory about a looming trade.

Their big takeaway? Boone’s comment:

“We’ll see if something emerges from camp or, you know, things happen in and around baseball ... moves happen late, so, we’ll see.”

And? What exactly are we supposed to glean from that? Is this really a sign that the Yankees are revisiting a trade for Arenado? Doubtful. If it was going to happen, it would’ve happened already. Plus, let’s be real—he’s not getting any younger.

If we’re throwing names around, what about Alec Bohm from the Phillies? We talked about that back in November. Read A BOLD TRADE MOVE WITH THE PHILLIES , BUT LEAVE THE MARTIAN OUT OF IT! and guess what? Nothing happened. And nothing will.

Then yesterday, Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa brought up Ke’Bryan Hayes from the Pirates—an idea that originally came from Michael Kay. (Go check out REAL TALK! WE HAVE A NEW NAME TO REPLACE DJ LEMAHIEU.) Will that happen? God knows at this point.

Look, if the Yankees don’t fill third base externally, they’ll be fine. The obsession with plugging every position with an All-Star is exhausting. This has been the narrative all offseason, and at some point, people just need to take a breath.

Take this stuff day by day, and my advice? Don't listen to Aaron Boone.

REAL TALK! WE HAVE A NEW NAME TO REPLACE DJ LEMAHIEU

What I feared would happen, did happen and it is unfortunate. It didn't take long for another injury bug to bite DJ LeMahieu. Only the second at-bat of spring and he has a calf injury. I swear if he didn't have bad luck, he would have no luck at all.

 I have been worried that the Yankees would rely on DJ to be healthy and just go into the season with the plan that he would be the everyday third basemen, read LATEST BOONE BABBLE MEANS THE YANKEES HAVE PICKED THEIR THIRD BASEMAN. We knew it was risky given his injury history and here we are. So now what? That's a really good question.

The media is all over this competition between Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera, but I'm not sold on either of this for an everyday option until DJ comes back. We don't know how long that will be and history shows that could be a LONG time. This is what I wanted to avoid. No offense to either of these guys, but I don't see Cabrera as an every day guy for us, he's more of a bench player and Peraza just isn't ready.

We've seen Cabrera and we know what his strengths and weaknesses are. Peraza on the other hand, he doesn't have the same amount of experience, and he's also out of minor league options. I think Peraza has a lot of potential, I'm just concerned with his plate discipline. He hasn't learned that patience at the plate is a virtue, he has a low 6.4% walk rate and high 29.6% chase rate. He's shown progress with the bat early in camp with a .333 BA, but that is a small sample size so far. We all know how fast that can change in a long season. I like how he's looked so far but.....have we seen enough to go all in?

I can't confidently say yes. So who else is out there? Ke'Bryan Hayes in Pittsburgh. I have to admit Michael Kay had an interesting idea on his show back in January, check it out HERE.

"Ke'Bryan Hayes is a defensive magician at third base," Kay said on Jan. 15. "His hitting is not what it should be, but he's obviously not happy in Pittsburgh. I talked to Charlie when the Yankees were in Pittsburgh a couple of years ago, and he was like scratching his head about some of the things they do in Pittsburgh with the hitters. Whatever the case may be, if I'm the Yankees, I'm calling the Pirates and go, 'What do you want?'"

Rumor has it, his father former MLB player himself, Charlie Hayes is not satisfied with his progression in Pittsburgh. Kay is right, Hayes hitting is not what is should be but maybe the Yankees can help him find his swing. He's defensively sound at third, so this could be a low risk high reward scenario. Maybe. Another plus for Hayes, he's affordable. He's owed $70 million between now and when he becomes a free agent in 2030. That's a long time of team control. It can't hurt for Brian Cashman to pick up the phone and just start the conversation.

At this point, the Yankees need to consider all alternatives, especially new blood. I wish things were different with DJ, he used to be a good hitter and an impact player for our team. We can't rely on ANYONE anymore and then hope things work out for the best. We can't wait around for DJ to be healthy again.....be smart Yankees.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj