Thursday, June 25

Welcome to this edition of the Yankees Beat newsletter. Thomas Harrigan is pinch-hitting for beat reporter Bryan Hoch in this edition.

The Yankees might already have an idea of what areas they want to address prior to the Trade Deadline, but a lot will depend on what happens between now and Aug. 3.

Here are three questions that could shape how the Bronx Bombers approach the Deadline -- and who they end up pursuing.

1. How will key players progress from injuries?

The Yankees are currently without four of their best players in Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Trent Grisham and Max Fried. Of the four, only Grisham seems to have any chance of returning before the All-Star break, and Judge likely won’t be back until after the Trade Deadline.

If New York thinks it will have those players healthy for the stretch run and playoffs, it could have a major impact on how aggressive the team is at the Trade Deadline, but that’s not a given. 

Stanton already sustained a setback with his injured calf, and Grisham (left hamstring strain) and Fried (left elbow bone bruise) are still early in their respective progressions. Most important of all, Judge is expected to be re-evaluated at some point in July to determine his level of healing and the appropriate next steps as he works his way back from a right rib stress fracture.

2. Can Wells get his bat going?

Catching defense is once again a strength for the Yankees, but in terms of offense, only a couple teams have been worse behind the plate. New York backstops have mustered just a .547 OPS and a 54 wRC+, including a .529 OPS and 51 wRC+ from starting catcher Austin Wells, who recently returned from a two-week absence due to cervical headaches. 

Wells has never been an elite hitter, but he was at least league average from 2024-25 and popped 21 home runs last season. Add in his stellar defense, and that made him quite valuable. His offense has cratered this season, however, and he has about five weeks to convince Yankees brass that they don’t need to make a significant play for a bat-first catcher such as the Twins’ Ryan Jeffers.

Wells’ RBI double to left field -- his first opposite-field extra-base hit of the season -- against the Tigers on Tuesday was an encouraging sign after he focused on making some mechanical adjustments with Jarret DeHart, the club’s director of hitting, while he was on the IL.

3. Is Lagrange the answer to their bullpen needs?

Closer David Bednar has put together 10 consecutive scoreless appearances after getting off to a rough start this season, but the continued struggles of fellow 2025 Trade Deadline acquisitions Camilo Doval and Jake Bird have left Boone with few options he can go to in the late innings -- especially from the right side.

At this point, the Yankees are likely to be on the lookout for a right-handed reliever at the Trade Deadline. However, flamethrowing youngster Carlos Lagrange (Yankees’ No. 4 prospect) could change the calculus for New York. The Yankees announced in early June that they were moving Lagrange to a relief role with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, accelerating his potential path to the Majors.

Longtime Yankees fans will recall the impact Joba Chamberlain had on the club’s bullpen when he was called up during the 2007 season. Lagrange has the same type of electric arm. The biggest question is whether he can sharpen his control enough to become a trusted high-leverage option for Boone later this summer. He’s averaging 4.5 walks per nine innings this season, including 4.4 BB/9 since he moved to the bullpen.

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