Brian Cashman is not playing his cards very close to his chest.
The New York Yankees general manager recently said, according to Jorge Castillo of ESPN, that he is âdefinitelyâ looking for a starting pitcher before the end of the month. Bullpen and infield raise concerns, too, but the staff has to be at the forefront of his moves.
Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt are out for the year. Luis Gil should be back sooner rather than later, but there are no guarantees with his availability. The Yankees do have Max Fried and Carlos Rodón to rely upon, but, especially if Gil struggles early on, there will be major questions about a third (or even fourth) potential postseason starter.
A Trip South
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Tampa Bay Rays âare listening to offers for starter Taj Bradley.â
A career 4.70 ERA, 4.32 FIP right-hander, Taj Bradley has not had that breakout campaign yet, and sits at 5-6 with a 4.60 ERA and a 4.14 FIP in 2025. However, the more worrying component of Bradleyâs lackluster performance has been a declining strikeout per nine innings rate.
His 2023 debut saw him record 11.1 K/9 over 104 and 2/3 innings. He followed that up with a 154-strikeout, 10.0 K/9 effort in 2024. Now, Bradley has just 89 strikeouts over 103 and 2/3 innings, and his per nine rate is down to 7.7.
While he may never develop into a top-end arm, he is only 24 years old and has four-and-a-half years of team control remaining. The Rays are never hesitant to part with tantalizing prospects or MLB-ready players, but it is still a bit surprising to hear them so willingly discuss Bradley trades.
What would be even more surprising is if they trade him to the New York Yankees. Bradley is far from the marquee name New York fans desire this deadline, but he could provide meaningful innings, particularly in the dog days, to a team in dire need of healthy arms.
The Yankee Way
The New York Yankees have already hit their seemingly perpetual midseason slump and now sit at 53-43 and two games back of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees are still a quality team, and they should have no problems getting into the postseason or even reclaiming the division.
However, this is a franchise concerned with one thing: the World Series.
To even reach that stage again, New York will need at least one of Will Warren, Cam Schlittler, or Marcus Stroman to step up their game.
Warren has shown flashes, and at 6-5 with a 4.63 ERA and a 3.41 FIP, he appears poised for a quality MLB career. Schlittler is even more raw than his rookie teammate, and having made only one start for the Yankees, it is too early to forecast his October role.
Then thereâs Stroman. He has mostly induced agita during his one-and-a-half years in the Bronx, and injuries have done him no favors in 2025. Stroman has thrown just 24 and 1/3 innings over 6 starts, and has a 6.66 ERA, a 5.59 FIP, and 15 strikeouts to 12 walks.
Bradley might not necessarily get this team over the top, but he has the talent to compete with these three for that No. 4 spot down the stretch.
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