8 Yankees who aren't as safe as they think with 2025 trade deadline nearing

Changes are coming. You can sense it. The New York Yankees have already made three trades and have been linked to a half-dozen other players with the deadline approaching Thursday evening. Another loss to the Rays on Monday didn't allow the Yanks to pick up ground in the division. The clock is ticking.

Brian Cashman won't be tearing down the roster, but fans are getting the feeling a few surprise deals could go down as the organization prioritizes 2026. Meanwhile, the current group continues to flounder and Aaron Judge sits on the IL waiting to see how his flexor strain responds.

Not to mention, SNY's Andy Martino dropped a bombshell over the weekend (and then again on Monday night!) suggesting a number of key players could be on the move should the Yankees get aggressive. Who might that be? Who could get blindsided over the next few days?

8 Yankees who aren't as safe as they think with 2025 trade deadline nearing

Ian Hamilton

This one's probably the least surprising, but Hamilton has not gotten the job done this year. Yes, the Yankees could simply option him, but with countless teams looking for relief help/depth, Hamilton could emerge as a somewhat valuable target due to his past success and the fact he has an option remaining.

Cam Schlittler

Fans have mostly agreed that Schlittler is awesome, but they have also mostly agreed that Schlittler should not stand in the way of the Yankees capitalizing on unexpected trade candidates that become available. Brendan Donovan? Steven Kwan? Any other star-caliber player with team control would probably force Schlittler to be in play. We'd rather he stay, but if the Yankees can properly manage a peak asset, few would be opposed to it.

Luke Weaver

Weaver (and the next candidate) were mentioned in Martino's weekend piece. The Yankees are rumored to be willing to listen on relievers on expiring deals. Weaver, who has seen a considerable drop-off from last year, is one of those arms. And if the Yankees aren't contending, there's no need for them to hold onto their back-end bullpen options. They obviously don't want to tear it all down, and Weaver still remains a hopeful extension candidate, but the Yankees could get value for him now, make do the rest of the way, and look to re-sign him in the offseason if this all materialized.

Devin Williams

Fans would much rather move Williams than Weaver, however, because he probably carries more value and almost certainly will not be returning to the Bronx after 2025. He's been pitching great over the last month and will surely serve little-to-no purpose if the Yankees aren't optimistic about Judge (and keep playing like they've been). A ton of teams would immediately help the Yankees recoup what they lost in their offseason trade with the Brewers, and they shouldn't hesitate if the right offer surfaces.

Paul Goldschmidt

Again, not all of these players will be on the move, but with a need to get more playing time to Ben Rice, why not trade Paul Goldschmidt to a contender in need if the 2025 urgency is dissipating? Goldschmidt is a free agent after this year and probably won't be returning, given he'll be entering his age-38 season and has completely fallen off a cliff the last couple months. Yankees fans have largely enjoyed the experience, but Goldy is not an integral piece on this roster unless the plan is to go all-out for a World Series right now. Martino mentioned Goldschmidt in his column on Monday.

Trent Grisham

And ditto! The Yankees need to clear paths for Jasson Dominguez (who needs everyday reps) and Spencer Jones (who should be in MLB in a matter of weeks). Grisham, another player on an expiring contract, probably won't be returning in 2026, unless the Yankees start trading their younger options. He's swinging a hot bat and is one of the better defenders in the game, so there's very much an opportunity for the front office to ship him off to a better situation, capitalize on his value, and start seeing what they have in Dominguez (who can start getting center field reps) and Jones.

Jasson Dominguez

But Grisham stays if they opt to move Dominguez ... which isn't out of the question. What if the Guardians want Dominguez in a deal for Kwan? What if the Cardinals want him in a deal for Donovan? Would you pull the trigger there? If the Yankees are planning on keeping Bellinger and would rather prioritize Jones, then Dominguez could be dangled as an asset to upgrade elsewhere. His defense hasn't been great, but there are surely teams out there hopeful about his offensive value.

Cody Bellinger

And finally, this is not anything fans endorse, but Martino dropped Bellinger in his Monday piece: "We have since learned through league sources that last week the Yanks brought up Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt in talks with at least one other club." In this scenario, they could trade Bellinger, call up Jones, and make it clear to Belli they'd like to link back up in the offseason. He could get a chance to ring chase in 2025 and return to New York, a place he clearly wants to be. His value will be as high as any available slugger at this year's deadline. If you ask us, though, we'd rather just get him to sign a contract extension and be done with it.