1 controversial trade Yankees should make before the 2026 deadline, 1 they must avoid

The New York Yankees' upcoming trade deadline had a wrench thrown into it after Cody Bellinger suffered a hamstring strain that will keep him out 4-6 weeks. This roster couldn't afford to lose another star after all that's happened this year.

That means Brian Cashman will have his hands tied a bit when it comes to shifting personnel around. Is it possible to trade one of Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones right now when Bellinger will miss at least a month?

It's doable. Jose Caballero can play some outfield for the time being. Same goes for Amed Rosario. Hell, same even goes for Jazz Chisholm Jr.! There are options here. They're not exactly ideal, but the Yankees just need to not be a total disaster for the next month.

There's more flexibility here, and the move might actually be to get rid of any expiring money or guys that aren't profiling as contributors to this year's World Series aspirations. So that brings us to our first topic ...

Yankees' should make "controversial" trade by shipping out Trent Grisham

It is what it is at this point. The Yankees' $22 million gamble on Grisham has proven to be a mistake, even though the thought process behind it wasn't completely objectionable. Grisham has dealt with a hamstring injury this year and his hitting just .213 with a .698 OPS and 96 OPS+. He was the most horrendous player, non-Ali Sanchez division, in a horrendous loss on Wednesday. Just not good enough for what the Yankees have needed.

Not to mention, he can no longer be relied upon as a reliable defender in center field come October. He's been so much slower this year and he's taken some questionable angles to balls in the gap. And then there's his arm ... it's just not very strong. The Yankees should prioritize a better defender if Grisham's bat isn't going to perform to its 2025 levels (or anywhere close to it).

Could that be Jones? Could that be a new import, like Jung Hoo Lee? Either way, the Yankees would be smart if they found a way to move Grisham, upgrade defensively (or offensively if the opportunity arises), and free up ~$9 million on the payroll. Grisham will be a commodity for plenty of teams out there, or he could be used in a salary swap of sorts with a team looking for an expiring deal.

Yankees should avoid trading for CJ Abrams if rumors are true

The Yankees need a shortstop. Everybody can argue until they are blue in the face about Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero, but neither are the answer. Caballero is the superior depth option because of his positional versatility and speed, which makes Volpe redundant. Volpe probably shouldn't be here after the deadline, but the Yankees can't quit him.

One thing the Yankees can't do, however, is overpay for a shortstop in the midst of a career year with his bat, but who possesses suspect defense. And that would be CJ Abrams, who has been connected to the Bombers in recent rumors.

Not only does Abrams already have 16 errors this year, he's also the worst in the league among the OAA ranks. Now, I don't watch the Washington Nationals, but this is a clear instance where the surface level metrics (errors) lineup with the underlying metrics (range).

Plus, the Yankees need another righty bat, not a lefty one. Overpaying for Mason Miller is one thing. That saves the bullpen and you get an additional three years of control. Overpaying for Abrams doesn't fill a need and you'd be buying at the peak. Not where you want to be.

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