Yankees eye infielder upgrade at deadline as injuries threaten lineup

The New York Yankees are navigating the second half of the season without three of their core power hitters—Aaron Judge (broken rib), Giancarlo Stanton (calf) and Cody Bellinger (hamstring)—yet they remain within 1.5 games of the Tampa Bay Rays atop the AL East. MLB analyst Joe Randazzo suggested the club’s most urgent need at the upcoming trade deadline is an upgrade at third base, specifically targeting Houston Astros infielder Isaac Paredes, to address the Yankees’ high error count.

Randazzo highlighted the roster’s underlying strengths, including a solid starting rotation, and argued that a decisive move by General Manager Brian Cashman could differentiate New York from other AL teams and revive World Series hopes. Manager Aaron Boone expects the injured hitters to return in late August or early September, and the club has called up Spencer Jones to fill Bellinger’s spot. The analyst concluded that, despite a frustrating 2026, the Yankees possess the resilience to win the division and make a deep postseason run if they act before the Aug 3 deadline.