Rollercoaster Yankees win saved 2 players from unfortunate trade deadline fate

It was quite an emotional evening for the New York Yankees. Not only did the bats fail to produce much of anything until the eighth inning, but once they finally did to take the lead, closer Devin Williams blew it in the blink of an eye. A 2-1 advantage evaporated after just six pitches, and a Brandon Lowe two-run homer lifted the Tampa Bay Rays to a 3-2 lead in the ninth.

But Anthony Volpe came through. His game-tying home run in the ninth had Yankee Stadium erupting. What a turn of events! Before you knew it, Austin Wells was in scoring position with two outs ... oh wait. He forgot how many outs there were, wandered off the bag, and was tagged out to end the ninth. Unbelievable how this team is never ready for the assignment.

The Rays struck first in the top of the 10th, and it felt like it was over. The Yankees never battle back when they're down in extras at home. But then sweet prince Cody Bellinger took matters into his own hands and slugged an RBI triple to tie the game. Tim Hill blanked the Rays in the top of the 11th, and then Ryan McMahon walked it off for the Yankees, proving how impactful a trade acquisition he's been.

The rollercoaster win might've fully solidified the Yankees as buyers. At one point, it felt as if the Yankees would bring a hybrid approach at the deadline — selling some expiring contracts and buying players who could help them for 2025. Two names that were floated — Trent Grisham and Devin Williams — both of whom played notable roles in Wednesday's name, feel likely to stay put now.

Grisham was the one who saved this game by blasting the game-tying homer in the eighth after the offense logged three hits and zero runs through seven innings. That was his 18th bomb of the year, a new career high for the slugger. It's safe to say, unless the Yankees receive a Godfather offer they can't turn down, that Grisham will be manning center field in the Bronx for the rest of 2025.

As for Williams ... his case might be a bit more complicated, but it feels silly for the Yankees to ship off bullpen assets after winning three of their last four games. Though it might be enticing because the reliever market just exploded with the Mets and Phillies giving up hauls for three different arms, the Yankees, if they wish to contend, can no longer sacrifice any arm of substance. Williams might not be what the Yankees had hoped, but he's also one of three guys who can be trusted at the moment.

Funny how it works, though. If the Yankees had lost this game because of Williams' blown save, they would've fallen five games behind the Blue Jays and it would've made more sense for them to part with the right-hander for a promising return and then rebuild the bullpen with a bunch of lesser acqusitions. At this point, that could still be on the table. Things can't really get worse there.

But the Yankees were injected with some renewed energy after their third nail-biting win since Sunday. Unless Cashman has some grand plan up his sleeve to conduct a drastic bullpen makeover that doesn't include Williams by 6 p.m. ET, it's more than likely The Airbender be closing games until his contract expires in a few months.