Yankees should expand latest bullpen trade rumor and solve two major needs

With under two weeks until the trade deadline, the New York Yankees' ever-expanding list of needs can't afford to grow any thicker. Starting pitcher. Multiple relievers. Third baseman. We will now pray to the Sports Gods to keep it right there, please.

Clarke Schmidt's season-ending surgery threw the latest wrench into the planning. A "depth starter" once seemed totally acceptable. Now, the Yankees need someone they can hand the ball to in a postseason series.

Comfort is key; the lower-variance, the better. That's why the Yankees should channel their latest connection into a slightly larger package, if the Kansas City Royals really are serious about joining a seller's market.

Francys Romero tossed out a flare on Thursday indicating the Yankees have been watching All-Star closer Carlos Estévez for "months" now. The team reportedly weighed a pursuit of Estévez in the offseason before he landed in KC, a marriage that has worked out for the individual (2.39 ERA, 1.095 WHIP, league-leading 25 saves) but hasn't resulted in the team success the Royals envisioned when they added expensive pieces to a 2024 playoff team.

Despite a 3.63 FIP that indicates regression might be coming with a porous defense behind him (note: fix that defense), Estévez would still be a solid Yankees target. And we'll do them one better: pay a little more to add Seth Lugo to the package, and we'll really be swimmin' in it.

Yankees should expand Carlos Estévez trade rumors to include KC Royals' Seth Lugo

The 35-year-old Seth Lugo is only locked down through the end of 2025, but comes with a team option for 2026 attached. He truly makes a meal out of the Yankees any time he's asked to face them, bedeviling New York's lineup with a lowered pitch count seemingly whenever he's handed the ball. This year, he'd be a Cy Young candidate once again if he were pitching in the spotlight; he's posted a 2.67 ERA in 17 starts/101 innings. If the Royals move him, they can immediately slot either (wait, what?) Rich Hill or Dallas Keuchel into the rotation, both of whom are currently at Triple-A Omaha.

The Yankees showed a willingness to spend money to make issues go away when they jettisoned DJ LeMahieu prior to the All-Star break. Would they absorb additional cash to patch over their numerous holes, drawing closer to the luxury tax line? That's the real question.

If the Yankees are skittish about money, they'll likely take on some for a third baseman, then scrimp on any further additions. But if Brian Cashman really is as "all in" as he claims to be, a Lugo/Estévez package makes all the sense in the world. These are known quantities you can believe in — especially Lugo.