Yankees can save Aaron Judge's prime with this Cardinals trade deadline move

Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario won't do anything for the 2025 New York Yankees in terms of thrusting them further into contention. McMahon helps big time, but he's simply not a star-level acquisition. Rosario is a free agent in November and is merely here for depth over the next two months.

And if we're being honest, the play probably isn't for 2025. Aaron Judge is injured, and it's unclear how the flexor strain will affect him the rest of the way. The rest of the roster is fine, but it's nowhere near championship-caliber. The slump could get even worse with Judge out for at least the next 10 days.

But there's a way for Brian Cashman to salvage everything. He can use this deadline to look ahead to 2026 and 2027 instead of saving all of the heavy lifting for the offseason, when the Yankees will inevitably fall short of landing all of the fanbase's desirable targets.

McMahon was a play for right now and next year. We like that outlook. And St. Louis Cardinals star Brendan Donovan could be the same. Recent rumors have connected the two parties, but it's unclear if the Cards would be willing to plunge that deeply at the trade deadline.

Yankees Rumors: Cardinals trade featuring Brendan Donovan would save New York

Everybody has a price. We can't sit here and pretend like Donovan, a very solid player, is "untouchable." There isn't a statistic on his ledger that suggests he is even close to that status. He's not a revolutionary talent or quintessential building block.

But he's the perfect example of a guy who "does a little bit of everything" at an above-average level. He can hit for average and sprinkle in enough power to profile as an all-around offensive player. He barely strikes out and kills off-speed pitches. He has logged reps at every infield position as well as left field and right field over the past two years. He's under club control through 2027 and is heading into his age-29 season in 2026. And he's another lefty bat.

Right now, he can help the Yankees out with their positional flexibility, then eventually serve as Jazz Chisholm's 2027 replacement if the team opts not to re-sign the slugger. But more importantly, a move like this keeps New York relevant in 2025 and makes them even stronger for 2026, which is the mindset they need to make the most of this currently dull situation

Reports say it'll take a "sky-high" return to convince the Cardinals to part with him. But will it, really? The Cardinals are talking about selling a number of other pieces, and they think that will put them in a better position to succeed within the next 2.5 years, which is Donovan's remaining timeline with the team? Because it's also unlikely the Cardinals pay him when he hits free agency after his age-30 season.

Call up St. Louis. Offer them No. 2 prospect Carlos Lagrange, No. 8 prospect Rafael Flores, and Will Warren as a start. See where that takes you. If they want another prospect, Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz could be one to dangle instead of Warren. If push comes to shove, you might have to consider Cam Schlittler in there somewhere. We don't know because the market's yet to identify itself in any major way, but there's no reason not to be aggressive here.