5 Yankees Who Won't Survive the Trade Deadline

It's no secret the Yankees have had a tough couple of months leading up to the All-Star break. We started to notice some struggles in the Yankees' away series against the Red Sox in mid-June, and things have stayed the same since then. While New York stands at 58-40 and just a game behind the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles, they are 8-17 in their last 25 games and need help.

Fortunately for Brian Cashman and the Yankees, this is the time of year when the team can address its positional needs and upgrade in several areas. With the MLB trade deadline approaching at the end of July, we can expect the Yankees to be active as buyers as they look to contend for a championship in October.

I expect the Yanks to prioritize starting, relief pitching, and middle infielders. The Yankees could always use more starters but desperately need a high-leverage reliever. In the last 20 games, the team has an ERA of 4.79 and a 1.23 WHIP. The Yankees have allowed 160 hits, 93 earned runs, and 34 home runs during that stretch. The team has also seen consistent struggles with veterans Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu and can be in the market for middle infield depth.

It's always challenging to give up players, but for the Yankees to address these struggles and get what they need at the deadline, they must sacrifice talented prospects and maybe even veterans. That said, let's look at five players who are in danger of being traded at this year's MLB trade deadline.

5: RHP Yoendrys Gomez

If the Yankees decide they want to trade for a third baseman due to LeMahieu's struggles, they could look into acquiring San Francisco Giants' Matt Chapman. A package returned back to the Giants could include No. 17 right-handed Yoendrys Gomez. Gomez has spent time with the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Railriders and the Yankees this season.

Gomez has a 2-4 record in AAA with a 4.20 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 55.2 innings pitches. He was called up for three games, where he threw 7.2 innings and recorded nine strikeouts out of the bullpen, which is suitable for a 5.87 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP. On June 21, Gomez threw 4.2 innings and recorded five strikeouts in seven batters faced in an 8-1 loss against the Atlanta Braves.