Bleacher Report tabs 2 Yankees enemies as potential trade deadline targets

The season-ending injury to Jonathan Loaisiga and the uncertainty surrounding Scott Effross, Lou Trivino and Tommy Kahnle have the New York Yankees' bullpen in a precarious position. There definitely aren't enough pieces for a World Series run at the moment.

But that's what the first few months of the season are for. See what you've got. Utilize those minor-league options. Establish roles. Then strike when the trade deadline arrives. It's all any team can do, especially when injuries are a prominent factor.

The bullpen has felt like a perennial strength for the Yankees, with the exception of some high-level choke jobs that got them eliminated from the postseason. It happens. Bad luck. But the consistency was always there in terms of structure, strikeouts and reliability.

This year ... there's none of that. Manager Aaron Boone is still working on the structure. The unit has a terrible strikeout rate. And there are high-leverage roles up for grabs. There's plenty of time to let it all play out, but Bleacher Report is out here targeting some trade deadline candidates for the Bombers.

It seems the recent dealings with the Boston Red Sox have media members a little bit more liberal with their selections, because B/R has tabbed two enemy relievers as possible Yankees options come the end of July.

Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin could very well be shopped as long as the Red Sox continue to underwhelm. As for the others B/R is suggesting, Tanner Scott, Carlos Estevez and Michael Kopech are intriguing and previously speculated options. They can take a hike with their inclusion of Adam Ottavino. That better not happen.

In all honesty, Jansen and Martin probably won't be on the Yankees' radar due to their price tags and Boston's expected unwillingness to eat salary. The Yankees are in the danger luxury tax zone and won't be overpaying for aging relievers who are (or who have been) showing cracks in their game.

Estevez, a 2023 All-Star, could be their best bet. New York just made a fool of Scott when they faced the Marlins, and he continues to struggle. Kopech, a former Red Sox too (!), could actually be a good fit, but he just transitioned to the bullpen this year.

B/R mentioned Brewers closer Devin Williams as a remote possibility, but he's out until June with a back fracture. We're not sure the Yankees are going to target damaged goods with all the poor injury luck they continue to have.

For a more realistic approach, we can ax Williams, Jansen, Martin and Ottavino from this group. Remember, the Loaisiga replacement is supposed to be Michael King-esque, and Loaisiga was hardly that. Then again, his stuff was nasty, so the Yankees need to be targeting someone with a similar skill set and durability in terms of multi-inning capacity.