Ranking Yankees' Possible Trade Targets Before The Deadline

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The Yankees had a tremendous first half of the season and are charging their way toward October baseball. It has long been proven that a big key to a deep postseason run is to have a strong pitching staff. Whether it be a pair of aces or an airtight bullpen that you can trust in a one-run contest, pitching is the name of the game come playoff time.

With baseball's July 31 trade deadline quickly approaching, the Yankees have been rumored to be the landing spot for several big names that could help shore up their rotation, their only real weakness. Here is how some players the Yanks have been linked to stack up against one another.

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1. Madison Bumgarner

After being in the Cy Young conversation for years, the Giants southpaw has fallen off a bit. Going 15-23 since the start of the 2017 season, MadBum is clearly not as dominant as he once was, but he still has a respectable 3.86 ERA this season. Bumgarner, who turns 30 on Aug. 1, also has proven he can deliver in the clutch. He is a three-time World Series winner with the Giants, including being voted the NLCS and World Series MVPs in 2014. This marriage, however, might be facing long odds. The Giants reportedly don't plan to lower their asking price much for Bumgarner, and the Yankees are supposedly reluctant to give up too much for a rental -- Bumgarner is set to hit free agency this winter. Complicating matters further, the Giants have won 11 of their last 13 and are suddenly just three games out of the wild card. Bumgarner also would have to waive his no-trade clause to join the Yanks.

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2. Mike Minor

The Rangers left-hander has been enjoying a stellar season. He's 8-4 and holds a sub-3.00 ERA, which has been hard to come by this year. Minor’s 2.73 ERA is the sixth best in the majors among starters. The biggest thing going against Minor, an All-Star earlier this month, is his lack of postseason experience. He pitched in the National League Division Series as a Brave against the Dodgers in 2013 and has not made it back since. The Rangers, however, are just four games out of the wild card and could be reluctant to move the 31-year-old pitcher, who is under contract through 2020.

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3. Trevor Bauer

Bauer has been a solid piece for the Indians' rotation since 2014 and has registered at least 11 wins in four straight seasons. The 6-foot-1 righty also has the sort of experience Minor lacks. The 28-year-old Bauer went on postseason runs with the Indians from 2016-18, making 10 appearances over the three playoff stints. Though he didn’t have particularly astounding outings, simply being there and knowing the pressure of trying to pitch in the World Series could make him valuable to the Yankees. At 53-40, the Indians are currently tied for the second wild-card spot in the American League, but The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal recently reported that he expects them to be "aggressive listeners" for Bauer, who is in the final year of his contract. 

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4. Marcus Stroman

The Blue Jays right-hander made his first All-Star appearance this year in Cleveland after a less-than-ideal 5-10 record in the first half of the season. But his record doesn't tell the whole story. Stroman, 28, has an ERA of 3.25 over 110 2/3 innings. The Long Island native, like many on this list, could benefit from getting out of a losing environment. The Blue Jays currently sit 24 games under .500 and are fading fast. In seven of his 10 losses this year, Stroman gave up three or fewer earned runs. A lack of run support is something he wouldn’t face with the Yankees, who have yet to be shut out this season. 

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5. Noah Syndergaard

Thor could find himself moving to a different borough by the time July 31 comes around. It may be unlikely to happen, but if the Mets decide to pack it in and have a fire sale, then the 26-year-old Syndergaard would be high on many teams' wish list. Despite an ERA of 4.55, the right-hander has a 7-4 record this season. Last year, Syndergaard, who is under team control through 2021, went 13-4 with a 3.03 ERA. The Mets, however, could be hesitant to deal a star away to their crosstown rivals.

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6. Robbie Ray

WFAN baseball insider Jon Heyman reported Monday that the Yankees can be added to the list of teams interested in Ray, a list that now seems to include every team looking to make a playoff push. The 6-2 left-hander had his breakout season in 2017 with the Diamondbacks after struggling early in his career, posting a combined 14-31 record in his first three seasons. Since then, he has kept his ERA under 4.00 and shown why he can be successful. Ray, 27, has 145 strikeouts this season, 43 more K's than any current Yankee. However, Arizona is just one game out of the second wild-card spot and Ray is under team control through 2020, factors that will likely drive up his price.

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7. Matthew Boyd

Boyd is probably a name not many are familiar with, at least not as much so as the others on this list. The 28-year-old Tigers lefty is enjoying the best season of his five-year career, going 6-7 with a 3.95 ERA to date. The most encouraging part of Boyd’s game is how he has begun to ring batters up. He is already just seven strikeouts shy of his career high and leads the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio (152 to 24). Boyd is the riskiest proposal here because he has yet to prove himself over multiple years and has no playoff experience. He is, however, under team control through 2022.

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8. Zack Wheeler

The Mets right-hander seemed to be in the crosshairs for the Yankees to try to poach. However, that may all change now that the 29-year-old was placed on the injured list Monday with a shoulder injury. Teams will have questions about Wheeler's health that might not be answered before the trade deadline, and Wheeler had never been a model of good health to begin with. Like with Syndergaard, it also is yet to be seen if the Mets would be willing to make strange bedfellows with the Yankees. A straight-up trade involving major leaguers has not happened between the two clubs since 2004 when Mike Stanton got dealt to the Yankees in exchange for Felix Heredia.