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NEW YORK — The Yankees hope to upgrade at catcher before baseball’s Aug. 3 trade deadline, and the rumor mill has them interested in two All-Stars, Rockies right-handed slugger Hunter Goodman and Orioles switch-hitter Adley Rutschman.
General manager Brian Cashman also might make a run at Padres All-Star closer Mason Miller, who has an 0.89 ERA and 25 saves in 25 chances and is armed with a fastball that touches 104.5 mph.
At this point, there’s no assurance any of them will be moved, but the cost figures to be very high if they’re shopped.
Who do the Yankees have to offer?
A veteran American League executive who knows the Yankees and their farm system well provided scouting reports on 10 players whom the Rockies, Orioles or Padres could demand in a deal for a face of their franchise. The executive was granted anonymity because he isn’t permitted to publicly comment on opposing players.
YANKEES TRADE BAIT
JASON DOMINGUEZ, OF
Age: 23 (24 on Feb. 7, 2027)
2026 MLB stats: Yankees, .230 average, 148 AB, 15 runs, 34 hits, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 6 SB, 6 BB, 33 K, .656 OPS, 40 games.
2026 minors stats: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA) .318 average, 110 AB, 17 runs, 35 hits, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 10 SB, 14 BB, 20 K, .900 OPS, 29 games.
Status: Starting right fielder with Aaron Judge on the IL could be used in a backup role or optioned to Triple-A if and when the Yankees get Judge and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton back from injuries.
Fast fact: Hitting .138 (4 for 29) with runners in scoring position.
AL executive: “I really believe for Dominguez to get to his ceiling, and he has some ceiling, he’s got to get out of New York. He needs to go some place where he can just play every day without the fire of New York City. New York’s different. It’s not a development situation. There’s pressure to win, pressure to perform. Dominguez is not a good player right now. He’s had some injuries that took away development time. I don’t know that he’s a very a real instinctual player. But he’s very talented.”
ANTHONY VOLPE
Age: 25 (26 on April 28, 2027)
2026 MLB stats: Yankees, .245 average, 143 AB, 18 runs, 35 hits, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 7 SB, 21 BB, 37 K, .663 OPS, 47 games.
2026 minors stats: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA) .205 average, 39 AB, 6 runs, 8 hits, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 10 K, .571 OPS, 9 games. Somerset (AA), 29 AB, 5 runs, 7 hits, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K, .565 OPS, 9 games.
Status: Sharing starting shortstop dutieswith Jose Caballero.
Fast fact: Career-best .988 fielding percentage (2 errors, 169 chances) is a huge improvement from last season’s AL worst .963.
AL executive: “I think the Yankees probably lost whatever amount of leverage that they had as far as getting real value for Volpe. We’ve all been guilty of staying with a player too long and missing our window. I get it, I still believe Volpe has a chance to be an average major league player, an everyday player. But you talk about the weight of the world. You start playing bad and you’re the golden child playing shortstop for the Yankees ... I think this may have run its course.”
WILL WARREN, RHP
Age: 27 (28 on June 16, 2027).
2026 stats: Yankees: 7-4, 4.03 ERA, 19 starts, 98.1 IP, 101 hits, 56 runs, 44 ER, 14 HR, 33 BB, 96 K.
Status: No. 4 starter likely will be out of the Yankees’ postseason rotation, but on roster as a bulk or high-leverage reliever.
Fast fact: Was 7-1 with a 3.14 ERA in first 14 starts and is 0-3 with a 5.61 ERA in last five.
AL executive: “Warren is a major league starter. He’s a back-end guy with a chance to maybe be a No. 4 eventually. He’s good. I like him. But he’s not the front piece on a Mason Miller trade. Nowhere even close.”
RYAN WEATHERS, LHP
Age: 26 (27 on Dec. 17, 2026).
2026 stats: Yankees: 3-7, 4.40 ERA, 19 starts, 102.1 IP, 101 hits, 56 runs, 50 ER, 17 HR, 29 BB, 115 K.
Status: No. 5 starter is expected to be moved to bullpen when Carlos Rodon comes off the IL.
Fast fact: Has a 6.00 ERA over last nine starts after posting 3.14 ERA in first 10.
AL executive: “Weathers absolutely has a good arm. He’s probably going to eventually be pretty damn good. It’s just young pitching. Sometimes they pitch young. Weathers could be packaged in a deal for something good, but he’s depth in the Yankees’ rotation and they’ve got guys on the IL. Who knows if someone else is going to get hurt? For me, it’s going to be hard for the Yankees to trade guys in the back end of their rotation, Weathers and Warren.”
AUSTIN WELLS, C
Age: 27 (28 on July 12, 2027)
2026 MLB stats: Yankees, .158 average, 202 AB, 19 runs, 32 hits, 6 HR, 13 RBI, 1 SB, 26 BB, 62 K, .511 OPS, 69 games.
Status: Starting catcher.
Fast fact: The majors’ worst-hitting starting catcher is tied for third-best in framing among 61 ranked receivers in Baseball Savant’s analytics.
AL executive: “Wells needs a change of scenery, a hundred percent. Baseball is a hard game, and it’s really hard there in New York. But all can’t forget what we’ve seen. He’s proven that he can hit in the big leagues. He’s just not good right now and it happens. But that other Austin Wells probably is still in there if you can get him out of pinstripes and get somewhere where he can free his mind. I’ll be honest with you. If I was Colorado, I would absolutely want Wells as part of a deal coming back if they trade Goodman to the Yankees. Now you’re going to have to give me something else really good, too, someone like Lagrange. But, yeah, get Wells out of the fire and let him get back on track.”
TRIPLE-A TRADE BAIT
GEORGE LOMBARD JR., SS
Age: 21 (22 on June 2, 2027).
Prospect ranking: No. 1, MLB Pipeline.
2026 minors stats: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA), .244 average, 164 AB, 33 runs, 40 hits, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 8 SB, 36 BB, 44 K, .803 OPS, 44 games. Somerset (AA), .312 average, 77 AB, 18 runs, 24 hits, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 3 SB, 12 BB, 19 K, .991 OPS, 20 games. FCL Yankees (rookie), .500 average, 6 AB, 3 runs, 3 hits, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2 games.
Status: Yankees’ shortstop of the future was activated from Triple-A IL on July 17 after being sidelined since June 16 with a left finger sprain.
Fast fact: Has eight errors and a .946 fielding percentage in 37 Triple-A games at shortstop.
AL executive: “I keep hearing the Yankees won’t trade Lombard and I think they’re playing that one absolutely how I would play it. I think Lombard is gonna be tremendous. I really do. And I don’t give a damn what he hit for a few weeks in Triple-A before he got hurt. He’s going to be fine. I think he’s going to be a plus player on both sides of the ball. You know, meaning offensively, defensively. But yeah, I mean, I don’t have a lot of looks at him because I don’t cover the lower levels, and I didn’t really get to see him other than spring training and the week in Worcester. But I freaking love him. Here’s the thing: If the Yankees want Mason Miller, if you’re getting the baddest cat in the game right now in the ninth inning with three years of control, you’re going to have to pony up. The Padres gave up one of the best prospects in baseball last summer (Leo De Vries) to get Miller from the A’s, so I can see them telling the Yankees we’re not doing a Miller trade without Lombard in the deal.”
CARLOS LAGRANGE, RHP
Age: 23 (24 on May 25, 2027).
Prospect ranking: No. 4, MLB Pipeline.
2026 minors stats: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA), 1-4, 4.55 ERA, 18 games, 11 starts, 63.1 IP, 53 hits, 37 runs, 32 ER, 10 HR, 33 BB, 83 K.
Status: Triple-A injured list and questionable to return this season.
Fast fact: The 6-foot-7 Dominican with a fastball that touches 103 mph was transitioning to the bullpen for a potential Yankees call-up when placed on IL July 2 with a right shoulder capsular sprain.
AL executive: “If the Yankees want Mason Miller or Hunter Goodman and they won’t trade Lombard, Lagrange has to be the front guy in a package that includes multiple prospects. That’s probably their only chance of getting one of them. The stuff is there for Lagrange. I saw him multiple times in spring training and I caught him in Triple-A this year. It’s all right there. He’s just going to have to get on the mound and sharpen up his secondary pitches a little bit. But it’s an elite arm and he throws strikes. Shoot, that’s a good place to start, isn’t it?”
ELMER RODRIGUEZ, RHP
Age: 22 (23 on Aug. 18, 2026).
Prospect ranking: No. 3, MLB Pipeline.
2026 MLB stats: Yankees, 0-2, 4.76 ERA, 4 starts, 17 IP, 19 hits, 9 runs, 9 ER, 1 HR, 11 BB, 10 K.
2026 minors stats: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA) 5-3, 2.85 ERA, 13 starts, 66.1 IP, 52 hits, 26 runs, 21 ER, 5 HR, 34 BB, 67 K.
Status: Triple-A starter has been called up by Yankees four times and made four spot starts.
Fast fact: Traded by Red Sox to Yankees for catcher Carlos Narvaez on Dec. 11, 2024.
AL executive: “I don’t like Rodriguez as much as I like Lagrange, but they’re both very talented. Rodriguez’s got a chance to be a quality middle-of-the-rotation guy, which is a $20 million a year player right now.”
SPENCER JONES, OF
Age: 25 (26 on May 14, 2027).
Prospect ranking: No. 6, MLB Pipeline.
2026 MLB stats: Yankees, .233 average, 73 AB, 6 runs, 17 hits, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB, 9 BB, 34 K, .687 OPS, 30 games.
2026 minors stats: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA) .276 average, 185 AB, 34 runs, 51 hits, 15 HR, 51 RBI, 10 SB, 30 BB, 67 K, .951 OPS, 51 games.
Status: Back in Triple-A, waiting for another MLB opportunity after two call-ups this season while Yankees had multiple outfielders on the IL.
Fast fact: Strikeout rate in minors has dropped from 35.4% in 2025 to 30.3% this season, but it’s 41.5% with Yankees.
AL executive: “Spencer Jones did some good things for me when I saw him in Triple-A and with the Yankees. He is what he is. He’s a flawed hitter. He’s going to swing and miss. But get him 500 at-bats and he’s going to catch 25 of them. He couldn’t help it. He’ll mis-hit 10 or 15 of them out of the ballpark. He’s got that kind of power. He can run. I think Spencer Jones actually might have the personality to survive in New York, too.”
YOVANNY CRUZ
Age: 26 (27 on Aug. 23, 2026).
Prospect ranking: Not in MLB Pipeline’s Yankees top 30.
2026 MLB stats: Yankees, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 games, 4.1 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 BB, 6 K.
2026 minors stats: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA) 7-3, 3.06 ERA, 2 saves, 28 games, 32.1 IP, 26 hits, 17 runs, 11 ER, 2 HR, 13 BB, 44 K.
Status: November 2025 minor-league free agent signee is a Triple-A reliever who impressed in two short call-ups with Yankees, his first MLB action.
Fast fact: Four-seam fastball averages 100 mph and touches 102.
AL executive: “He’s a guy who needs a little rope. I’ve seen him a couple times this season, once in the big leagues, and he threw the ball over the plate. That’s a big arm for sure. He’s good. I’d take him in a second.”
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