Yankees Rumors: Unexpected link to struggling NL team invites trade deadline buzz

It's crunch time, New York Yankees fans. The trade deadline is four weeks away. Suitors will come into focus in July and Brian Cashman and Co. will need to address the roster's deficiencies with the team looking to make a World Series run.

One other franchise the Yankees have conducted a lot of business with over the last few seasons is the Chicago Cubs. Dating back to 2016, New York helped Chicago win its first World Series since 1908 with the Aroldis Chapman trade, though we wish Gleyber Torres wasn't still here languishing.

Then came the deals for Anthony Rizzo in 2021 and Scott Effross in 2022. Some might argue those were regrettable for the Yankees, too. So maybe in the fourth go-round here, Cashman can acquire the right player?

According to the latest buzz (subscription required), the Yankees and Texas Rangers "have had noticeable scouting presence around the Cubs," per The Athletic. Who could New York be after as Chicago tumbles down the standings?

Yankees targeting Chicago Cubs at MLB Trade Deadline?

The Cubs have had an incredibly disappointing 2024 after high expectations and now find themselves in a precarious situation after spending a lot of money on Seiya Suzuki, Cody Bellinger, Dansby Swanson, Shōta Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner over the last few years.

The Yankees will be seeking relievers and infielders at the deadline, but it's unclear if the Cubs are actually a match. Chicago's entire bullpen has been a letdown this season, and the Yankees aren't going to re-acquire former top prospect Hayden Wesneski (3.60 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) after dealing him for Effross a couple seasons ago.

As for the corner infielders and second basemen, Hoerner and Patrick Wisdom are out of the question, while Michael Busch and Christopher Morel feel like two guys the Cubs might want to hold onto because of their potential and cost-controlled future.

Forgive us for not diving deeper ... but it gets even more bleak. The Yankees need surefire reinforcements at the deadline. They can't be taking flyers. They can't be chasing guys like Effross, who had a minute of success and no proof of long-term durability/trustworthy sample size.

The Cubs don't really have those kinds of players. So unless they're scouting for some sort of prospect swap that includes Rule 5-eligible guys or ways to shuffle the 40-man roster, they should go invest time with another team that has better options for them.