3 possible trade deadline reunions no Yankees fan wants to see

You know what's the best? When some other team takes a discarded Yankees player, unlocks them in the way New York was hoping to, then dangles them on the open market in July and eventually profits. That's just the greatest. Top-notch. No complaints about that endless cycle whatsoever.

The Yankees' typical deadline since the Aaron Judge Era began has involved taking a moderate splash (Sonny Gray, Anthony Rizzo, Joey Gallo, Frankie Montas), and pairing that splash with an attempt at crafting a redemption arc (Jaime Garcia, Lance Lynn, Andrew Heaney). More often than not, the Yankees are left holding the bag -- on both the primary acquisition and the secondary swing.

This summer, the American League is relatively wide open. The Yankees can be contenders, if everything works out. They displayed that ability even without reinforcements when they parlayed a hot May into a 50-22 start. In order to return to the top, though, they'll need a transformative deadline, and they'll need the resulting pieces to click. That'll take a little bit of luck.

Our advice? Stay away from these available players who you've already tried. No need to double dip.

3 potential Yankees familiar faces who could join team at MLB Trade Deadline (but shouldn't)

Willie Calhoun

You may remember Willie Calhoun from drilling a game-winning home run against the Boston Red Sox last year, then getting immediately drilled himself the next day in BP by a Carlos Rodón fastball. You also may remember him from representing last season's inadequate roster-building, through no fault of his own.

This season, he's putting together a respectable, bang-filled year with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, sporting a 109 OPS+ and .269 average in 175 at-bats. The Angels are inexplicably torn over whether to sell only rentals (Carlos Estévez) or dabble into dealing controllable players, too (Taylor Ward, Luis Rengifo). They should be rabidly pursuing a sale of any piece that isn't foundational. Regardless of the direction they choose, Calhoun should be a fun fourth/fifth outfielder option for a team looking for a little bench pop. If the Yankees inquired, though, they'd be roasted by fans for an obvious backslide. Not worth it, especially considering Calhoun has already had his best half of the season, in all likelihood, and isn't barreling the ball all that much.

Andrew Heaney

How do you solve a problem like Andrew Heaney? Not sure. Don't reacquire him and try to find out.

HeanDog took home a World Series ring for the Rangers last year, though he didn't contribute much in the postseason, getting blown up in 1.2 innings in the ALCS against the Astros before rebounding to soak up 5.2 quality frames (one earned run allowed) in the Fall Classic. In fact, at every stop since the Yankees brought him in, he's been closer to the best possible version of himself/the realized dream vision Matt Blake and Co. had when they acquired him for the 2021 stretch run.

Heaney with the Yankees? A ghastly 7.32 ERA in 12 outings/five starts as he attempted to cram a year's worth of lesson plans into a few hours in August. With the Dodgers and Rangers? The high fastball's working as prescribed; he's mostly been a low-4.00s ERA lefty who exudes mid-tier confidence, though he doesn't exactly soak up innings, succumbing to injury and ineffectiveness as his usage rate rises.

Even if the Rangers get back into the playoff mix down the stretch, they should probably become the latest team to feel the joy of selling Heaney to a contender in need. If the Yankees pick up the phone and dial the Rangers for any reason other than trying to pry Nathan Eovaldi loose, they should be ashamed of themselves.

Mike Tauchman

33-year-old lefty-swinging outfielder Mike Tauchman, now with the Chicago Cubs, once buoyed a Yankees team in desperate need of Next Men Up, helping to steer the Bombers toward the finish line in 2019 with his clutch left-handed power and extremely competent defense. Unfortunately, he pulled up lame in left field at Fenway Park in a September showdown, ending his season, and the Yankees ended up one bat short when Giancarlo Stanton bowed out of the ALCS.

If Tauchman stays healthy, he certainly could've had a certified "moment" against the Astros that October, coming off the heels of a 128 OPS+. What a lovable team. Sigh.

Tauchman has remained a productive player -- and an Aaron Judge favorite, accompanying the captain to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game he famously attended while in free agency flux back in 2022 (he'd been a San Francisco Giant in 2021, adding to the mania as we all tried to sniff out the signs). He sports a 109 OPS+ as a part-timer with the Cubs, and polished off a 102 mark last season. Currently, he's working his way back to the bigs from injury.

Again, Tauchman, in a perfect world, plays competent defense as a fourth infielder and contributes the occasional spark, but the Yankees need slug. They need thump. They'd value some athleticism, sure, but Tauchman's is waning as he ages. As nice as it would be to see his face again, the Yankees are probably better off riding the Trent Grisham wave than surrendering assets for Tauchman this summer.