AL East

The Boston Red Sox need to take one look at the standings to determine what their stance should be ahead of the 2022 MLB trade deadline.

The Red Sox are 51-52 and at the bottom of the American League East entering Monday. Their playoff dream is dying fast, and they may end up with nothing to show for this season.

Boston is 3-7 in its last 10 games, and it has not won consecutive games since July 9 and 10, when it took down the New York Yankees.

It is time for the Red Sox to offload some of their impending free agents and try to recoup something out of a disappointing season—instead of waiting for a handful of contracts to expire in the offseason.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the "Red Sox are listening on veterans," and that includes JD Martinez, Christian Vazquez and Nathan Eovaldi, all of whom have expiring contracts. Xander Bogaerts has already been told he will not be traded.

Boston will not receive a massive haul in return for its players who are out of contract at the end of the 2022 season, but getting a few prospects in return could bolster the farm system and accelerate the timeline for younger players to join the big-league roster.

The Red Sox should take advantage of what is a weak trade market at the moment. Juan Soto is the big name on the rumor mill, but the Washington Nationals are rightfully asking for exorbitant packages in return for a player who is one of the best hitters in the game and has multiple years left on his contract.

Where Boston fits in the trade market is with the teams that either missed out on Soto or were never in the race for the Nationals outfielder in the first place. For example, the New York Mets could look to Boston for Martinez or Vazquez to improve their lineup as they try to lock up the National League East.

New York already made two moves for left-handed bats in Daniel Vogelbach and Tyler Naquin, and it can improve its right-handed depth by landing Martinez and Vazquez, both of whom have postseason experience.

Martinez's overall power is down compared to a year ago, He has nine home runs, but he hit 32 doubles and has a .354 on-base percentage. Vazquez carries some positional flexibility at catcher and first base. He is hitting .282 with eight home runs, 42 RBI and 20 doubles.

There are places on contending rosters for both Martinez and Vazquez, and the Red Sox could get a few young players in return for the two hitters to start building their new core for another set of playoff pushes in the future.

The potential departures of Martinez and Vazquez would allow the Red Sox to take a major-league look at Triston Cases, the team's No. 2 overall prospect, who is mashing at Triple-A Worcester.

Casas, Jeter Downs and whichever prospects come in return for the traded players could form a nice young core around Bogaerts and Rafael Devers to help the Red Sox rebuild a bit after the departures of a few players.

Nathan Eovaldi is Boston's most intriguing pitching target at the trade deadline. Eovaldi is 4-3 with a 4.43 ERA, 80 strikeouts and just 14 walks over 81.1 innings.

The starting pitcher market is scant to say the least. Once Frankie Montas is traded by the Oakland Athletics, there will be little quality left on the market. Boston could make Eovaldi available and get two decent prospects, or one major-league ready player, in return for his expiring contract.

Eovaldi's departure would open up a clear path for Brayan Bello to be in the Boston rotation and that would help the team further evaluate the talent of its No. 3 overall prospect for the final two months of the regular season.

Eovaldi would be able to slip into any rotation and be an upgrade because of his lengthy experience. He needs to cut down on the home run concession, of which he has 18, but that is one of the few concerns that are attached to him.

St. Louis, Philadelphia and a few other playoff contenders are in need of pitching help, and Eovaldi's availability would be a welcome sight since they likely can't afford Montas, who has been linked for weeks with the New York Yankees.

Boston could keep everyone and make one more run at the wild-card spots in the American League. The Red Sox are 3.5 games out, with three teams between them and the third wild-card position.

With free agency on the horizon for a few players and the season trending downward, the Red Sox should cut their losses and get something for Martinez, Vazquez and Eovaldi and allow some of their top prospects to get some much-needed playing time at the big-league level.

The New York Yankees are trying to move on from outfielder Joey Gallo and have reportedly received interest from the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (h/t Mark Polishuk of MLBTradeRumors).

Gallo is hitting just .159 with a .282 on-base percentage and 12 home runs in 82 games this season with the Yankees.

The 28-year-old joined New York in a July trade from the Texas Rangers last season but now appears to be on his way out before becoming a free agent this offseason.

Gallo did hit 13 home runs in just 58 games last year with the Yankees, but his .160 batting average left a lot to be desired. Even he acknowledged his shortcomings after continued struggles in 2022.

"I feel bad," Gallo told Lindsey Adler of The Athletic. "It's something I'm gonna have to really live with for the rest of my life. It's going to be tough. I didn't play well, I didn't live up to expectations. And that's a tough pill to swallow."

New York acquired outfielder Andrew Benintendi to effectively replace Gallo's spot in the lineup.

Despite his struggles with the Yankees, the slugger clearly has some value around the league. He had two All-Star selections and two Gold Glove Awards with the Rangers and is averaging 39 home runs per 162 games over his career. He hit at least 40 home runs in consecutive seasons in 2017-18.

The Rays and Padres–currently ranked 22nd and 25th, respectively, in the majors in total home runs this season–could especially use this production.

The Brewers do have quality power hitters in Rowdy Tellez, Willy Adames and others, but they could use more outfield depth with the aging Christian Yelich and Andrew McCutchen rotating at designated hitter.

Gallo could represent a high-upside, buy-low option for any of these playoff contenders.

The Boston Red Sox are considering dealing some of their veterans ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline, including five-time All-Star JD Martinez.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post also reported that catcher Christian Vazquez and starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, who are impending free agents like Martinez, could be on the move.

Red Sox are now listening on veterans. Maybe not a committed seller yet but they are seriously considering it. JD Martinez, Nate Eovaldi, Christian Vazquez all free agents to be and among the candidates to go. Bogaerts was told he stays.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 30, 2022

Shortstop Xander Bogaerts will stay, per Heyman, but he can opt out of his contract and leave Boston after this season.

The Red Sox have been in a complete tailspin since July 5, when a 8-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays kickstarted a 5-16 stretch that's included a 28-5 defeat to the Toronto Blue Jays and a pair of road losses to the New York Yankees by a combined score of 28-3.

Boston entered Saturday last in the American League East with a 50-51 record, although the Sox are just four games behind the Rays for the third and final AL Wild Card spot at the moment.

Still, the writing may be on the wall for a team that is bleeding runs and losing games right now, and trading off the team's best available assets could be the best move at this juncture.

The 34-year-old Martinez is hitting .289 (.818 OPS) with nine home runs and 38 RBI. The 31-year-old Vazquez has posted eight homers, 40 RBI and a .280 batting average (.754 OPS). The 32-year-old Eovaldi has gone 4-3 with a 4.43 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 80 strikeouts in 81.1 innings (15 starts).

As far as specific teams go, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic speculated that the Mets could be in the mix for Martinez and Vazquez if any potential deals with some Chicago Cubs players on the block fall through.

Mets have scout watching Red Sox tonight, source tells @TheAthletic. If team finds Cubs’ price for Contreras/Robertson too steep, could pivot to J.D. Martinez/ Christian Vázquez. Separate move or moves would be needed to address bullpen.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 29, 2022

For now, the Boston trio is still in town as the Red Sox host the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday and Sunday.

Having made one move to boost their outfield depth, the New York Yankees appear to be focused on starting pitchers ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Cincinnati Reds right-hander Luis Castillo "seems to be" the Yankees' first choice, with Frankie Montas of the Oakland Athletics, Noah Syndergaard of the Los Angeles Angels and Jose Quintana of the Pittsburgh Pirates on their radar as well.

The Yankees made one of the first notable moves leading up to the trade deadline when they acquired All-Star left fielder Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

Adding Benintendi didn't require New York to give up significant prospect capital. The Royals received three pitchers in return (T.J. Sikkema, Beck Way, Chandler Champlain), none of whom cracked the top 10 in MLB.com's prospect rankings for K.C.

A deal for Castillo would almost certainly cost at least one significant prospect. He has another year of team control remaining and has posted a 2.86 ERA with 90 strikeouts in 85 innings this season.

Castillo did miss the first month of the season with a shoulder injury, but he hasn't had any apparent issues since making his 2022 debut May 9.

Montas, who is also under team control through 2023, had his own shoulder flare-up this month that caused him to miss two weeks. The 29-year-old has thrown eight innings in two starts since returning July 21.

Syndergaard would be a rental for the rest of this season. He signed a one-year, $21 million contract with the Angels in November. The right-hander has pitched well with a 3.83 ERA in 15 starts, but his 7.2 strikeouts per nine innings mark by far the lowest rate of his career.

Quintana, 33, is on a one-year, $2 million deal. He has posted a 3.70 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 97.1 innings over 19 starts.

The Yankees have an established ace with Gerrit Cole but could use depth, especially with Nestor Cortes having already surpassed his MLB high with 101.2 innings.

New York's 67-33 record is the best mark in the American League. The Bronx Bombers trail the Los Angeles Dodgers (66-32) by percentage points for the best record in Major League Baseball.

Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts said he received confirmation from the club's front office he won't be moved before Tuesday's 2022 MLB trade deadline.

Bogaerts, who hit a go-ahead home run in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians, said he's "been playing better" since getting clarity on his future from Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and team president Sam Kennedy, though he didn't want to reveal too many details from the conversation.

"Yeah. I don't know if I should say that, but I hope I don't get in trouble," he told reporters. "But yeah, much better like that. Communication is always huge in everything in life. To get that type of feedback is beneficial, I would say."

Bloom explained Wednesday the front office wasn't "planning to discuss them with anybody" in reference to Bogaerts or Rafael Devers, but he added a caveat.

"The best thing I can say is we're not doing our jobs if we're not considering all possibilities," Bloom said.

The Red Sox have fallen to last place in the AL East, but that's more a sign of the division's strength than any type of severe weakness within the club.

They own a 50-50 record following Thursday's triumph over the Guardians. They were in second place in the AL East on June 26 with a 42-31 record before falling into a slump leading up to the All-Star break. They are 3.5 games behind the final wild-card spot.

Bogaerts told NESN's Jahmai Webster he's hopeful the club doesn't make any drastic changes and gives the players a chance to surge back during the stretch run of the regular season:

"I feel in the end it's a really special group, everyone wants to stay together."

Xander Bogaerts on the impending trade deadline following the Red Sox 4-2 win over the Guardians. @WebsterOnTV | #RedSox pic.twitter.com/y4swZtHRB1

— NESN (@NESN) July 29, 2022

The 29-year-old shortstop has been a bright spot amid Boston's up-and-down year. He's compiled a .318 batting average and .856 OPS with eight homers and seven stolen bases in 96 games. His 4.3 WAR ranks second at the position behind the Atlanta Braves' Dansby Swanson (4.7), per FanGraphs.

Bogaerts' future with the club mostly came into question because his six-year, $120 million contract features an opt-out clause following the 2022 season. Losing him to free agency would obviously be a major setback for the organization.

His agent, Scott Boras, told Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe in May they didn't expect to discuss the contract situation with the team until the offseason.

So the Red Sox are taking on some risk if they keep Bogaerts through the deadline without assurances he's planning to either re-sign or pick up the option.

For now, it doesn't sound like a blockbuster trade is on the horizon, though.

The 2022 New York Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, but it was a doubleheader night for one of the franchise's ultimate icons.

Episodes 3 and 4 of The Captain aired Thursday as ESPN's seven-part documentary exploring the legendary 20-year career of Derek Jeter continued.

Much like The Last Dance, which highlighted Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls of the '90s, the documentary mixes present-day interviews with Jeter and other members of the Yankees dynasty with archival footage in an effort to retell key stories from the Hall of Famer's career.

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Episode 3

Episode 3 was all about the Yankees' titles in 1999 and 2000, which were the second and third championships of their three-peat.

It was also about some of the individual rivalries Jeter faced along the way with his Bronx Bombers overcoming Nomar Garciaparra's Boston Red Sox in the 1999 American League Championship Series and Alex Rodriguez's Seattle Mariners in the 2000 ALCS.

Derek with bars. #TheCaptain pic.twitter.com/sdWqbATwt1

— Randy Wilkins (@pamsson) July 29, 2022

“That’s what losers say.”

-Jeter on Nomar saying 99 Red Sox were the better team even though they lost the ALCS. #TheCaptain pic.twitter.com/igQHdvUWtO

— Laurence Holmes (@LaurenceWHolmes) July 29, 2022

Our sole focus in ‘99 was on winning back to back. #TheCaptain

— Derek Jeter (@derekjeter) July 29, 2022

While arguments can be made that Rodriguez was the better player and that Garciaparra was in that category, Jeter was happy to remind everyone that he was the one who won the most. It seemed to cost him an element of his friendship with Rodriguez, but A-Rod's critical comments that Jeter never had to lead a loaded New York team also stood out during the episode.

They didn't seem too friendly when they were talking to each other on the field following a brawl between the Yankees and Mariners, but Jeter's teammate Chad Curtis seemed to take issue with the shortstops talking instead of fighting. Jeter shot down speculation that New York got rid of Curtis because of that, saying he would have given himself a contract extension if he had that power.

A-Rod's comments about Jeter from 2001  👀#TheCaptain pic.twitter.com/ku75oDSQUq

— ESPN (@espn) July 29, 2022

https://twitter.com/_talkswithtj/status/1552822267318517762

A-Rod had a lineup with Ken Griffey and Edgar Martinez when he came into the league 🙄 #TheCaptain

— Cregan “Leon” Rose (@Stirringsteve) July 29, 2022

Chad Curtis earned himself a one way ticket out of the Bronx. How you try and fight Derek Jeter ?! 😂😂 #TheCaptain

— Frank Negron (@coolguy924) July 29, 2022

“Derek Jeter wanted to be a Yankee. Alex Rodriguez wanted to be s star.” #TheCaptain

— ᴛᴀʀᴀ ⚾️❤️ (@ilabachrn) July 29, 2022

"Jeter wanted to be a Yankee, ARod wanted to be a superstar .....Champions are different"

Love it! #TheCaptain

— Nick Jones (@CoachJonesACS) July 29, 2022

Yet it was Rodriguez's comments that Jeter said hurt him the most and impacted their friendship even though A-Rod apologized in person.

The individual relationship between the two shortstops was the focal point of the episode, but the 2000 Subway Series between the two New York teams also stood out. Backstories included Roger Clemens throwing a piece of a broken bat near Mike Piazza, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner bringing his own furniture into Shea Stadium and Jeter leading off Game 4 with a homer on a fastball over the middle.

Imagine if Social Media was around for this Subway World Series?? #TheCaptain

— Alex B. Smith (@axsmithsports) July 29, 2022

You’d be surprised how many fastballs down the middle hitters get. #TheCaptain

— Derek Jeter (@derekjeter) July 29, 2022

He also didn't seem too scared of his New York counterpart:

.@derekjeter never hated the Mets ...

They were "just the Mets" 👀😅 pic.twitter.com/jmm78h2ns2

— ESPN (@espn) July 29, 2022

Turns out, it was just the Mets when the Yankees won in five games.

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Episode 4

New York was going for its fourth straight title in 2001, but baseball took a backseat after the terrorist attacks of September 11. Episode 4 explored the dynamics of baseball returning and the Yankees providing a semblance of normalcy for the city, especially in the playoffs.

"We were truly playing for something way, way bigger," Jeter said.

Never forget.

— Derek Jeter (@derekjeter) July 29, 2022

Those playoffs included the Yankees overcoming a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Oakland Athletics in the division series with Jeter saving the season with the famous flip play to retire Jeremy Giambi at the plate in Game 3.

While the Arizona Diamondbacks eventually defeated the Yankees in seven games in the World Series, New York had two incredible moments to celebrate. Most notably, Jeter's walk-off homer in Game 4 after the clock struck midnight and the calendar flipped made him Mr. November.

The moment @derekjeter became "Mr. November" 🤩

Ep. 3 and 4 of #TheCaptain premiere tonight on ESPN and @espnplus 📺 pic.twitter.com/GhalfuPaly

— ESPN (@espn) July 28, 2022

Watching #TheCaptain makes it pretty clear that Derek Jeter was the greatest “winner” in baseball history. The toughest job in the toughest organization and all he did was thrive. pic.twitter.com/O0LdnksPQY

— Heath Blackmon (@heathblackmon9) July 29, 2022

That old Yankee Stadium gives me chills. Would give anything to have been there #TheCaptain

— Josh Schwam (@joshschwam) July 29, 2022

The Yankees also won Game 5 after Scott Brosius tied it with a two-run homer in the ninth and Alfonso Soriano had the walk-off hit, providing the city with the emotional release that came with back-to-back dramatic wins.

The rest of the episode included stories of Jeter's back-and-forths with Steinbrenner about his nightlife, No. 2 becoming the official captain and the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry going to another level during New York's seven-game victory in the 2003 ALCS that saw Aaron Boone hit the walk-off in the decisive contest.

Being named captain of the New York Yankees was one of the greatest honors of my career. #TheCaptain

— Derek Jeter (@derekjeter) July 29, 2022

He said it! 🤣#TheCaptain pic.twitter.com/QT9C4nfkt9

— ESPN (@espn) July 29, 2022

MJ giving Jeter his flowers 💐#TheCaptain pic.twitter.com/l9IfN3pVu1

— ESPN (@espn) July 29, 2022

#TheCaptain is definitely more niche and localized than “The Last Dance,” but for a Yankees fan that grew up during the Jeter era, this is awesome.

Especially for a guy like Derek who rarely took people behind the curtain during his career.

— Billy Reinhardt (@BillyReinhardt) July 29, 2022

I’m lucky to make it past 9 o’clock these days with three daughters. #TheCaptain

— Derek Jeter (@derekjeter) July 29, 2022

I told Aaron the ghosts would show up eventually. #TheCaptain

— Derek Jeter (@derekjeter) July 29, 2022

"It's Boston," Jeter said when asked why he never doubted the Yankees would win that series, echoing his comments on the Mets from the 2000 Fall Classic.

Unfortunately for Jeter and the Yankees, that narrative ended when they lost to the Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS even though they added Rodriguez before the season. Still, the Captain had plenty of bragging rights during a career that featured five championships.

Toronto Blue Jays star George Springer exited Thursday's game against the Detroit Tigers after suffering an injury to his elbow.

According to Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star, the injury occurred during Springer's at-bat in the eighth inning and he didn't come back out for the ninth. He had gone 1-for-5 with a run prior to exiting.

Springer has dealt with some injuries already this season. He missed two games at the start of June with a non-COVID-19 illness.

During the Blue Jays' 7-6 loss to the Chicago White Sox on June 21, Springer was lifted for a pinch hitter because of elbow discomfort. He was held out of the lineup for their series finale against the White Sox the next day to undergo more tests.

When Springer has played this season, he's been a productive hitter at the top of Toronto's batting order. The three-time All-Star has a .255/.332/.475 slash line with 18 homers and 47 RBI over 326 at-bats.

The Blue Jays haven't lived up to expectations this season, though their 46-42 record has them in the wild-card mix. Manager Charlie Montoyo was fired by the club on July 13, with bench coach John Schneider taking over on an interim basis.

Toronto does hold the the lead for a wild-card spot in the AL entering Thursday. Springer's prolonged absence would leave a huge void in the Blue Jays lineup and outfield.

Bradley Zimmer is capable of handling things defensively in center field if Springer has to miss time. Cavan Biggio could see more at-bats at designated hitter to provide more offensive punch until Springer is able to return.

The New York Yankees acquired All-Star outfielder Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday in exchange for a trio of minor-league pitchers.

With that, the Bronx Bombers added a major piece to the lineup en route to their World Series quest, which just got a little more attainable following the addition.

At the moment, the Yankees sport +380 odds ($100 bet to profit $380) to take the World Series, per DraftKings Sportsbook. Those odds are best in the American League and second-best in baseball behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.

However, the move certainly does not vault the Yankees into favorite status, and the team has plenty of questions that need to be addressed. Simply put, all is not well in the Bronx right now even though the 66-33 Yankees sit with the American League's best record.

New York is 8-12 in its last 20 games, including a home series loss to the last-place Cincinnati Reds and a pair of two-game sweep defeats to the Houston Astros and New York Mets.

The sluggish stretch put a greater spotlight on the team's lineup, starting rotation and bullpen woes, but adding Benintendi goes a long way toward solving one of those problems. He's hitting .320 with three home runs, 39 RBI and a .785 OPS. His batting average is now the best on the Yanks.

That's a perfect fit for the Yankees, though, as they sport plenty of power already and simply need more guys to get on base for the team's sluggers (e.g. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, etc.). It also helps that Benintendi is a tremendous outfielder who won the Gold Glove last year.

The addition of Benintendi would presumably mean that Joey Gallo, who is hitting just .161 and he has nearly three times as many strikeouts (111) as hits (37), will be making his way to the bench or out of town at this juncture. At his best, Gallo sports prodigious power that has enabled him to hit 38 or more home runs in a season three times, but a change of scenery might be best for both sides at this point.

Overall, this is a big win for the lineup, but the team's pitching depth still leaves a ton of question marks.

In the starting rotation, it's unclear who the Yankees can trust in October right now outside the All-Star duo of Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes.

Jordan Montgomery (4.97 ERA last seven starts) and Jameson Taillon (6.09 ERA last nine starts) simply have not fared well recently. Luis Severino (3.45 ERA) is on the IL with a low-grade lat strain, and it's unclear when he will return right now.

New York could certainly use another starter to give the team another option here, and the team has been connected to a pair of talented right-handers in the Cincinnati Reds' Luis Castillo and the Oakland Athletics' Frankie Montas, per ESPN's Jeff Passan (among others). Adding one of them would go a long way toward the Yankees' World Series hopes.

However, the Yankees still need bullpen help, which has been obvious with a handful of late-inning losses to the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets of late.

In the bullpen, Michael King (2.29 ERA) is out for the year with season-ending elbow surgery, and Chad Green (3.00 ERA) is done for 2022 as well following Tommy John surgery.

Ex-closer Aroldis Chapman (5.48 ERA) and Jonathan Loaisiga (7.06 ERA) have struggled mightily this year, although they have fared better of late.

https://twitter.com/martinonyc/status/1552667510796951553

The Yankees do have a quintet of relievers with sub-three ERA, but can they be trusted in October?

Joel Sherman of the New York Post provided his take: "Albert Abreu, Lucas Luetge, Ron Marinaccio, Wandy Peralta and Clarke Schmidt reside between intriguing and insufficient."

It's certainly possible one (or a few) of those arms becomes an asset in the fall, but right now, it's unclear. Adding more proven relievers would be a welcome sight. The Yanks are notably interested in a reunion with ex-Bronx Bomber and current Chicago Cub David Robertson, per Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.

In sum, adding Benintendi helps the Yankees' World Series cause, but they still need more help to overcome their pesky rivals in the Houston Astros, who have won the AL pennant three times since 2017. The league-best Dodgers look like the MLB powerhouse once again, and the Mets are hitting their stride.

All of these teams could prevent the Yanks from winning their 28th title, but if New York lands a solid starter and a bullpen arm or two, it could very well find itself as the clear World Series favorite heading down the stretch.

The New York Yankees remain on the hunt for a "high-end starting pitcher" ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline, according to Andy Martino of SNY.

The organization continues to target Cincinnati Reds pitcher Luis Castillo and reportedly has a scout on a special assignment to watch the right-hander. New York has also had discussions with the Oakland Athletics about Frankie Montas, per Martino.

Miami Marlins pitcher Pablo Lopez is also listed as a possibility.

The Yankees already made one big move on Wednesday, reportedly trading for outfielder Andrew Benintendi in a deal with the Kansas City Royals.

The Yankees still have the best record in the American League at 66-33, but a 2-5 record since the All-Star break has forced the team to be aggressive on the trade market.

Castillo could be a major addition after earning his second career All-Star selection. The 29-year-old has a 2.86 ERA and 1.071 WHIP to start 2022, both of which would be a career high.

Montas has been nearly as productive with a 3.18 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 104.2 innings, following up a year where he finished sixth in voting for the AL Cy Young.

Both players are under team control through 2023, although the Reds and A's are both in last place in their respective divisions and could benefit by dealing their stars for prospects.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported both Castillo and Montas will "almost certainly move in the next week," although there is competition from the St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners among other teams.

The Reds have also reportedly been slow to act on any potential trades for Castillo despite strong interest from the Yankees.

"They're telling people, basically, we'll get back to you on that," a source told Brendan Kuty of NJ.com.

Lopez could be another exciting option, going 7-5 with a 3.03 ERA in 20 starts for the Marlins this season.

The Yankees already have the third-best team ERA in the majors, but a team seeking a World Series title can never have enough pitching. Adding another front-line starter to a squad that already has Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes could make the team especially dangerous down the stretch.

The New York Yankees got an early start on the trade season by acquiring Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals.

Moments after the Yankees' 3-2 walk-off loss to the New York Mets on Wednesday, the team announced they sent minor league pitchers Chandler Champlain, T.J. Sikkema and Beck Way to Kansas City in exchange for the All-Star outfielder.

Benintendi is in the midst of arguably his best season in the big leagues. The 28-year-old has a .320/.387/.398 slash line with 19 extra-base hits and 39 RBI in 347 at-bats.

Factoring in the remaining $3.2 million salary Benintendi is owed this season, Spotrac estimates the Yankees' payroll is at $254 million. Factoring in luxury-tax allocations, their total roster spending is at $266.1 million.

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Yankees' Projected Lineup

1. DJ LeMahieu, 3B

2. Aaron Judge, CF

3. Anthony Rizzo, 1B

4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH (currently on 10-day IL)

5. Andrew Benintendi, LF

6. Gleyber Torres, 2B

7. Matt Carpenter, RF

8. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, SS

9. Jose Trevino, C

Aaron Boone has the type of problem that every manager in Major League Baseball would like to have. The Yankees have more players than they do starting spots available to fit them all in.

Giancarlo Stanton's Achilles injury that landed him on the injured list this week does make filling out the lineup card a little bit easier.

When Stanton returns, the picture gets a little more cloudy. Aaron Judge has hit primarily out of the second spot this season. There's no reason to mess with something that has worked.

Benintendi and LeMahieu could split leadoff duties since they both get on base in more than 38 percent of their at-bats. Whichever one isn't heading leadoff could potentially slot in at the No. 4 or 5 spot in the order.

Neither one has hit for much power this season, though Benintendi's power output could increase as he goes from playing home games at spacious Kauffman Stadium to the short right field porch at Yankee Stadium.

Stanton, Anthony Rizzo and Josh Donaldson are low-average hitters. Rizzo has the best combination of on-base skill and power among that trio to hit directly behind Judge. Stanton's power is good enough to keep him in the cleanup spot when he returns from the IL.

Gleyber Torres has bounced around the lineup all year. He's currently settled in at the cleanup spot, but that could change when Stanton returns.

The combination of Josh Donaldson and Matt Carpenter will hold things down in the seventh spot. If Carpenter somehow keeps up his current pace with an 1.194 OPS, he will almost certainly work his way up in the lineup.

The eighth and ninth spot will continue to be occupied by Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Jose Trevino. They are in the starting lineup for their defense, though Trevino has been a pleasant surprise offensively with a 106 OPS+ in 187 at-bats.

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Yankees Farm System

The cost to acquire Benintendi didn't put much of a dent in New York's farm system. MLB.com had Sikkema and Way ranked No. 19 and 21 on the Yankees' top-30 prospect list prior to the deal. Champlain didn't even crack the top 30.

All three pitchers are in Single-A and should be at least two years away from reaching the big leagues.

Sikkema missed the entire 2021 season with shoulder and lat injuries. The left-hander has shown good ability in High-A with a 2.48 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 36.1 innings, but he just turned 24.

MLB.com noted Way could end up as a reliever because of a lack of command and control. He has 80 strikeouts and 26 walks in 72.1 innings over 15 starts at High-A. Champlain, 23, has 94 strikeouts and 4.30 ERA in 73.1 innings this season.

Shortstop Anthony Volpe remains the crown jewel of New York's farm system, but there's plenty of exciting talent with him at the top. Oswald Peraza, Jasson Dominguez and Austin Wells were top-100 prospects coming into the season, per MLB.com.

Volpe, 21, has spent the entire season at Double-A with the Somerset Patriots. He has a .252/.349/.460 slash line with 13 homers and 37 stolen bases in 81 games. Dominguez, who got a $5.1 million signing bonus in 2019, has an .824 OPS in 80 games across two levels.

Peraza is on the verge of reaching the big leagues. The 22-year-old shortstop has spent all season in Triple-A and has posted a solid .258/.329/.446 slash line with 13 homers and 24 stolen bases in 73 games.

If the Yankees decide to make a serious play for Juan Soto, it seems likely that at least two of those three top prospects would have to be included for the Washington Nationals to part ways with their 23-year-old All-Star.

They don't have a loaded farm system in the same way that a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers or Tampa Bay Rays does, but the very top of their prospect list can stand alongside any team in MLB.