The New York Yankees are 61-48 at this point in the 2026 MLB season. That has them second place in the American League East, three and a half games behind the Tampa Bay Rays.
The team has until 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 3 to make some trades to bolster their roster. Down a few important bats in the lineup such as Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger, an outfielder will almost certainly be headed to the Bronx.
On the other hand, starting pitching is one of the Yankees’ strengths. Their trio of Cam Schlittler, Max Fried and Gerrit Cole is finally healthy at the same time. They started Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday's games at the Chicago White Sox to great success.
With that said, you can never have enough starting pitching, especially during a playoff run. Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is being made available, and fans are getting excited.
This season, Skubal has started 16 games, going 7-5 with a 2.79 ERA across 96 ⅔ innings pitched. He has struck out 116 and walked only 14.
On Thursday, some news came out about the 2024 and 2025 AL Cy Young winner. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com released an X post promoting his article, wherein he said the Yankees are “a long shot” to land the 29-year-old.
The news is disheartening but not all that surprising considering New York’s farm system and current starting rotation. The farm is depleted with only a few top-end prospects that the team really likes, and the rotation is stellar as is.
In addition to that 1-2-3 punch mentioned above, they have Carlos Rodón on the injured list for the moment. He has a 3.30 ERA in nine starts this season. Left-hander Ryan Weathers is a great No. 5 starter as well, throwing to a 3.99 ERA in 115 innings.
In all likelihood, the Yankees will still be ultra-aggressive at the deadline. They have a plethora of needs, so it seems like Skubal will be off the table as they try to address more pressing concerns.
