2 Yankees trade rumors we hope come true, 1 we hope doesn't happen

This trade deadline season, the New York Yankees truly have to beat the ticking clock and get in gear. The best time to make a momentum-turning trade was yesterday. The second-best time is right now.

Brian Cashman has been tied to a wide variety of targets — which makes sense, given that his roster has a wide variety of roster holes. It's quite possible the Yankees will be overwhelmed by more needs than the market can match this summer, but at the very least, it's encouraging that they're being connected to powerful infielders and swing-and-miss help for the bullpen.

There aren't quite as many perfect solutions as one would hope for a team floundering this much, but there have been at least a few recent rumors that would really help solidify things ahead of August and the stretch run. There've also been a few that feel out-of-character (or would represent some genuine Yankees hypocrisy).

2 Yankees trade rumors that would be excellent, 1 that would be less than ideal

Love This Rumor: Jonathan India to the Yankees

India's "not going to be available" unless the Reds fall out of the playoff race this week, purportedly. The Yankees do have confirmed interest, though, and if a deal doesn't get consummated, it'll partially be their own fault. After all, the Reds are hanging out at the fringes of the Wild Card race in part because they swept the Yanks to open July.

Aggrieved fans like to grouse about how targeting contact bats is pointless, and the Yankees need to put more balls into the seats. While that's definitely true, importing a true leadoff hitter instead of the team's current dreck (27th ranked in MLB from that spot in the order) would work wonders ahead of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. India has a bit of pop (drilled 21 homers in his Rookie of the Year campaign and 17 in 2023), but his OBP is where he really shines, pairing a .275 average with a .377 on-base mark this summer.

He's a walk-taker (94th percentile) with a keen eye who never chases (99th percentile), and a winning ballplayer who would provide the Yankees with a hefty dose of peskiness. All that's left to do between now and the deadline is root hard against the Reds.

Love This Rumor: Jack Flaherty to the Yankees

The Yankees might not believe they need a starting pitcher with Clarke Schmidt reportedly returning ... someday, but you can never have enough pitching. Any trade is going to be inflated in cost in this seller's market, but it's easier to obtain a rental than it is to add a top-line arm like Garrett Crochet for multiple seasons.

Instead of mortgaging Spencer Jones at his lowest point for Crochet, who might be shut down or moved to the bullpen by the end of the summer anyway, the Yankees should follow Chris Kirschner's plan and try two months of a resurgent Jack Flaherty on for size.

There are injury concerns surrounding Flaherty, but the 28-year-old has been mostly pristine this season (2.5 bWAR, 127 strikeouts in 100.2 innings, a propensity for paint). A two-month audition for free agency at a moderate cost would represent a valuable shakeup.

Hate This Rumor: Jazz Chisholm's "Character Concerns" Will Keep Him Away From Yankees

No way! It should be his league-average bat that keeps him away from the Yankees, not his locker room presence! Kidding. Kind of.

Chisholm is a much-ballyhooed trade addition during this summer's dead period, and has far more swagger than his 103 OPS+ would seem to indicate. He does feel like a player who could rise to the moment, but he's more of a risk than a sure thing. If the Yankees could add a reliever in the deal, it might be more appealing. Robert Murray on The Baseball Insiders reiterated this week that teams have had concerns about Chisholm as a teammate in the past, but that he's reportedly having a better year in that department. It's a valid concern, especially for a player whose production doesn't match his reputation, but for the Yankees to float such things after harboring Aroldis Chapman and allowing Domingo Germán to literally rip apart their clubhouse, it feels a bit rich.

The Jameson Taillon reunion rumor could fit nicely here, too. The Yankees being willing to absorb $18 million for the next two years after passing on two expensive theoretical prime years of the same pitcher in the 2023 offseason doesn't quite pass the smell test, but ... if it does go down, it would be an odd use of resources, even as Taillon improves.

Of course, no one wants him to go to Boston and thrive, either, so we're stuck in a gray area until deadline purgatory wraps.