New York Yankees

New York Yankees utility man Matt Carpenter says he hopes to return this season after suffering a broken left foot in Monday's game against the Seattle Mariners.

"I don't want to say a number because I just don't know, but I'm holding out hope that it'll be a situation where I could come back in the middle of September and can contribute towards a stretch run," Carpenter said, per Marly Rivera of ESPN. "So we'll see. I mean, that's my mindset is that I'll be back."

Carpenter was injured in the first inning when he fouled a Logan Gilbert slider off his left foot. He remained in the game to finish the at-bat, a strikeout, before realizing his injury was more severe than he initially hoped.

"When I went to swing on the next pitch, as soon as I started to plant and rotate on that back foot, my lower body like gave out and I wasn't able to," Carpenter said. "Thankfully, probably the best thing that happened was to swing and miss — because if I hit it and had to run, I might have made it worse. But I knew it wasn't good."

Tim Locastro came into the game and finished it out as the Yankees' designated hitter.

Carpenter was in the midst of an out-of-nowhere return to All-Star-level form. The 36-year-old hit .305/.412/.727 with 15 home runs and 37 RBI during his first 47 games with the Yankees after signing in late May. He had failed to make the Texas Rangers' Opening Day roster and was languishing in Triple-A before being released in May—a move that allowed for his career resurgence.

Coming into Monday, he was seemingly a mortal lock to win AL Comeback Player of the Year. Carpenter hit below .200 in each of his final two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and had only seven home runs in his final 180 games with the franchise.

The rejuvenated Carpenter's impact has carried beyond his on-field brilliance.

"I have no doubt in my mind that [Carpenter] is going to still make an impact on this team even while he's hurt," Yankees starter Jameson Taillon said. "He's come in here right away and made an impact on a lot of people. He's not afraid to talk pitching with the pitchers. He's not afraid to give honest feedback. He's one of the best guys that I've been around and played with, so I wouldn't be surprised if he finds his way back and makes an impact."

Carpenter has played all over the field since his arrival, serving as a designated hitter, outfielder, first baseman and third baseman. The Yankees will likely use a committee approach to replace him in the lineup.

New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge is in the midst of the best season of his career, but he remains unsigned and is headed for free agency this winter.

However, general manager Brian Cashman told reporters Thursday that the club's "hope is to get Aaron Judge signed to an extension."

Judge is playing the 2022 season on a one-year, $19 million contract.

The 30-year-old turned down a seven-year, $213.5 million contract offer from the Yankees before the 2022 season, deciding to bet on himself in hopes of signing an even larger deal in free agency.

Taking that chance has paid off for Judge as he'll likely be an American League MVP candidate this year. Through 102 games, he's hitting .298/.386/.676 with 43 home runs, 93 RBI and 10 stolen bases.

Judge's production has helped vault the Yankees into first place in the AL East with a 70-36 record, and the club looks primed to make a deep playoff run, perhaps ending with a World Series title.

In May, ESPN's Jeff Passan said during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show that Judge, if he remained healthy, would likely command a contract worth at least $300 million this winter.

If he earns that large of a deal, he would join Mike Trout, Mookie Betts and fellow Yankee Giancarlo Stanton as the only outfielders to put pen to paper on a deal worth at least $300 million.

However, Juan Soto, who was recently traded from the Washington Nationals to the San Diego Padres, is also expected to join that list of lucrative outfielders.

Judge made his MLB debut in 2016, though he didn't play his first full season in New York until the 2017 campaign, when he was named AL Rookie of the Year after hitting .284/.422/.627 with a league-leading 52 home runs and 114 RBI in 155 games.

The California native also earned his first All-Star selection in 2017, won his first Silver Slugger Award and won the Home Run Derby. Since then, he has earned three more All-Star selections and another Silver Slugger.

Judge reiterated his desire to remain in Pinstripes last month.

"The money, the contract has never been why I play this game," Judge said. "I want to play for the Yankees and be here for a long time. If it works out, it works out, but if it doesn't, it doesn't. It's out of my hands. I can't really control that kind of stuff."

Considering Judge has played a massive role in the Yankees' success over the years, it would be foolish for Cashman to not make him a significant offer once the 2022 season ends.

Major League Baseball's trade deadline is often about non-contending teams trading their notable players to contenders so they can rebuild for the future, but two playoff contenders made a deal just before Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET deadline.

The New York Yankees announced they sent left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Harrison Bader and a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Ken Rosenthal and Lindsey Adler of The Athletic and Jack Curry of YES Network initially reported on the deal.

From New York's perspective, the starting pitching rotation was getting somewhat crowded after it landed Frankie Montas in a trade with the Oakland Athletics.

Montas was one of the headliners potentially available at the deadline, and the Bronx Bombers improved their already excellent outlook by adding him to a rotation that also included Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, Nestor Cortes, Montgomery and Domingo German.

Luis Severino also figures to return from the injured list, which meant multiple starters may have been shifted to the bullpen ahead of the playoffs.

By trading Montgomery, it acquired an asset in Bader and may have cleared some of the logjam in the rotation.

Bader has been with the Cardinals his entire career which dates back to 2017. The first thing that jumps out about him is his fielding ability, and he was a Gold Glover in center field last year with 15 defensive runs saved above average, per FanGraphs.

Offensively, he is slashing .256/.303/.370 with five home runs, 21 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 72 games. While he will be overshadowed in a powerful Yankees lineup, he is someone they can deploy as a pinch runner or defensive substitution in key moments come playoff time with his speed on the basepaths and fielding ability.

As for the Cardinals, Montgomery is another starting pitching addition after ESPN's Jeff Passan reported they acquired Jose Quintana from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday.

Jack Flaherty and Steven Matz are both sidelined by injuries, so St. Louis needed to add more depth if it was going to catch the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. Milwaukee is three games ahead.

Montgomery has made 21 starts this season with a 3.69 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 97 strikeouts in 114.2 innings.

The New York Yankees have received "inquires" about veteran second baseman Gleyber Torres, according to YES Network's Jack Curry.

.@JackCurryYES: "There have been inquiries made on Gleyber Torres." pic.twitter.com/tX5AY41N93

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 2, 2022

The Bronx Bombers are running out of time to get something across the line, with the 2022 MLB trade deadline due to expire at 6 p.m. ET.

New York has been active over the last two days. On Monday, it announced trades for the Chicago Cubs' Scott Effross and the Oakland Athletics' Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino. A deal sending Joey Gallo to the Los Angeles Dodgers arrived Tuesday.

Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer hypothesized on July 27 that the Yankees could include Torres in a package for Washington Nationals star Juan Soto. That avenue is no longer available, though, with Soto on his way to the San Diego Padres, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Entertaining offers for Torres makes sense since he shouldn't be considered untouchable, but it would presumably take a somewhat aggressive offer to get him out of the Big Apple.

The 25-year-old has rebounded nicely following a pair of underwhelming seasons in 2020 and 2021. Through 92 games, he's batting .257 with 16 home runs, a .780 OPS and a 121 OPS+.

Torres is under team control for two more years as well. That kind of cost control could help a franchise that's looking at Aaron Judge and potentially Anthony Rizzo about to hit free agency. Re-signing both players would be costly endeavors.

Entering 2022, Torres' stock was at its nadir. Over the last few months, he has made a strong case for why he should remain a part of the Yankees' long-term plans.

With New York having addressed its pitching needs already, holding onto him through the deadline is the safest course of action.

The New York Yankees are finalizing a deal to trade outfielder Joey Gallo to the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times confirmed a deal is done, pending physicals.

Pat Ragazzo of Inside the Mets reported the Dodgers will send minor league pitcher Clayton Beeter to the Yankees.

In April, the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported the San Diego Padres discussed a Gallo trade during spring training. Negotiations never went anywhere because the Yankees were "believed to have been seeking a return befitting his ability, not his recent achievements."

The Bronx Bombers might wish in retrospect they took whatever San Diego's best offer was. Gallo struggled in the second half of the 2021 season following his trade from the Texas Rangers, and his performance has only gotten worse.

Through 82 games, he's batting .159 and isn't providing enough power to make up for how little he's getting on base (.282 OBP). He has 12 home runs, a .339 slugging percentage and a 78 OPS+, per Baseball Reference.

Adding Gallo last summer made sense. Beyond the fact he boasted an .869 OPS in the first half with the Rangers, the left-handed slugger seemed to be built perfectly for the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.

His first home run was a high fly ball that's probably caught by the right fielder in any other MLB park.

Making contact is a prerequisite to hitting dingers, though, and Gallo hasn't done the former with enough regularity.

The free-swinging 28-year-old has always struck out at a high rate, but the 2022 season has been bad even by his standards. Per FanGraphs, he's striking out in 38.8 percent of his plate appearances.

Opposing pitchers appear to have found one way to neutralize Gallo's prodigious power, and it involves a lot of fastballs up in the zone.

https://twitter.com/lindseyadler/status/1538253162850697218

According to Baseball Savant, he had a .235 batting average and a .574 slugging percentage on fastballs in 2021. Those numbers are .185 and .412, respectively, in 2022.

In his April report, Heyman cited a scout who said the Big Apple was a "challenge" for Gallo and "gets in his dome." The added scrutiny that comes with playing in New York City can bring out the best in some players, but that isn't true for everybody.

Gallo spoke about the difficulties in an interview with NJ Advance Media's Randy Miller:

"Coming here, I knew it was going to be really tough. It took a while for people to understand the player I am in Texas. Early on, I was the No. 1 prospect, but I struck out a lot. I was a strange player. But Rangers fans started to understand, 'OK, this guy strikes out, but he hits homers, he plays good defense, he's a good person.' Rangers fans came to understand that. Here in New York, if you don't get enough hits, it doesn't matter what else you're doing. They're going to tear you apart. I've been a Three True Outcomes player my whole life. It's not like I hit .300 my whole life. I've been a .200 hitter my whole life and I hit .160 here. So I knew New York was going to be a tough time and a tough place to play, especially the player that I am."

A change of scenery might help Gallo rebound at the plate, and Los Angeles is taking that bet with this trade.

His impending free agency also mitigates the risk for the Dodgers since they can make a clean break in the offseason if the partnership doesn't work out.

With his time as a member of the New York Yankees perhaps coming to an end Tuesday by the MLB trade deadline, Joey Gallo talked about his struggles while wearing pinstripes.

Speaking to Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media, Gallo said he does not go out in public in New York because of the reaction he receives from Yankees fans.

"A bunch of [players on other teams reached out to offer support]," he added. "It makes me feel like a piece of s--t, honestly. I remember playing here with the Rangers, watching guys get booed off the field and thinking, 'Holy s--t! I feel bad for that guy.' Now it's me. I do appreciate people reaching out, but it makes me feel like I'm a problem."

Gallo also said he's ready for the trade deadline to be over.

"We'll see what happens," he told Miller. "I'm waiting to hear. My parents are waiting to hear. They're going to have to come to New York and clean my apartment out, get all the furniture moved out."

The Yankees essentially ended any speculation about Gallo's future with the franchise Wednesday when they acquired Andrew Benintendi, who also plays left field, from the Kansas City Royals.

Gallo was acquired by New York from the Texas Rangers on July 29, 2021. He was named to the American League All-Star team twice with the Rangers, including in 2021, and was expected to provide a boost to the Yankees' playoff push last season.

Things never materialized. The 28-year-old hit .160/.303/.404 with 13 home runs in 188 at-bats across 58 games after the trade last season. He has fared even worse in 2022 with a .159/.282/.339 slash line with 12 homers in 233 at-bats over 82 games.

Miller reported last week that Gallo was "waiting for something to happen" and would like to end up with the San Diego Padres because of his relationship with A.J. Preller.

Preller, San Diego's general manager, worked in the Rangers front office when Gallo was drafted by the club in the first round in 2012.

If the Yankees are unable to find a trade partner for Gallo by 6 p.m. ET Tuesday, he could be designated for assignment. If that happens and he's not claimed by another team within seven days, he can be released and would become a free agent.

In seven seasons with the Rangers, Gallo hit .211/.336/.497 with 145 homers and 317 RBI. He won back-to-back Gold Glove Awards in 2020 and 2021.

The New York Yankees aren't resting on their laurels.

With the trade deadline looming, the Yankees acquired starting pitcher Frankie Montas, closer Lou Trivino and reliever Scott Effross in a pair of deals with the Oakland Athletics and Chicago Cubs on Monday.

The New York Yankees are acquiring right-hander Frankie Montas and right-handed reliever Lou Trivino from the Oakland A’s, sources tell ESPN.

First was Andrew Benintendi. Then was Scott Effross. And now the Yankees get Montas to join their rotation.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 1, 2022

The A's return for Frankie Montas is left-handers Ken Waldichuk and J.P. Sears, right-hander Luis Medina and second baseman Cooper Bowman, sources tell ESPN. @JackCurryYES was on both ends of the deal.

Waldichuk is the headliner, and he's a very good one. Has 116 Ks in 76.1 IP.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 1, 2022

The New York Yankees are finalizing a deal to acquire right-handed reliever Scott Effross from the Chicago Cubs, sources tell ESPN. Effross, 28, is a rookie with five more years of club control and has been fantastic this season. @JackCurryYES was on it.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 1, 2022

With the pitching corps receiving some much-needed reinforcements, what is the team's rotation looking like as it heads into the final two months of the regular season?

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SP: Gerrit Cole

SP: Nestor Cortes

SP: Frankie Montas

SP: Jameson Taillon

SP: Jordan Montgomery

RP: Scott Effross

RP: Jonathan Loaisiga

RP: Wandy Peralta

RP: Lucas Luetge

RP: Lou Trivino

RP: Aroldis Chapman

CP: Clay Holmes

Pitchers currently on IL: Starter Luis Severino, reliever Miguel Castro, reliever Zack Britton

Other options: Ron Marinaccio, Clarke Schmidt

---

While injuries and the struggles of bullpen options like Aroldis Chapman and Jonathan Loaisiga have hurt the Yankees at times, in general, pitching has been a major strength for the team.

New York has a team ERA of 3.19 (third in MLB) and a team WHIP of 1.10 (tied second). The rotation's 69 wins leads baseball. The 99 home runs sacrificed by the team is tied for sixth.

And now that group has gotten better.

Montas, 29, was one of the top starters on the market behind Luis Castillo, going 4-9 this season with a 3.18 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 109 strikeouts in 104.2 innings.

Trivino, 30, has gone just 1-6 with a 6.47 ERA but does have 10 saves on the year.

And the 28-year-old Effross has made 47 appearances on the season (one start), going 1-4 with a 2.66 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 50 strikeouts in 44 innings.

The Yankees (69-34) currently have the second-best record in baseball, trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers (68-33). And now they've retooled their rotation and bullpen as they aim to make a deep run in October and win their first title since 2009.

The New York Yankees had their eye on pitching Monday, and they delivered with multiple moves.

First, New York announced it landed relief pitcher Scott Effross in a deal with the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs received pitcher Hayden Wesneski in the deal, and he is already eighth on the rebuilding team's prospect list on the MLB.com rankings.

Jack Curry of YES Network then reported that the Oakland Athletics traded starting pitcher Frankie Montas and relief pitcher Lou Trivino to the Yankees for minor league pitchers JP Sears, Ken Waldichuk and Luis Medina and second baseman Cooper Bowman.

While Montas is the headliner, Effross is an underrated addition who figures to be a major factor as the Yankees pursue their first World Series title since 2009.

His sidearm delivery has baffled hitters on the way to a 2.66 ERA, 2.19 FIP and 10.23 strikeouts per nine innings, per FanGraphs. What's more, Baseball Savant notes opposing hitters have a 3.4 barrel percentage and 35.0 percent chase rate when facing the right-hander.

If there is one concern with Effross, it is the fact that he hasn't pitched in pressure-packed situations. The 2021 and 2022 Cubs were far from contenders, which is a different environment than Yankee Stadium will be in October.

Still, the bullpen needed some depth with Michael King and Chad Green lost for the season and Aroldis Chapman struggling on the way to a 5.01 ERA this year. The addition of Effross and Trivino, who has struggled with a 6.47 ERA but had a 3.18 ERA just last year, will help New York shorten games and get to Clay Holmes.

There aren't many weaknesses for a 69-34 Yankees team, and these moves help ensure bullpen depth won't be either. That only bolsters the team's World Series chances, especially if the starting rotation can lock down the early innings.

That starting rotation got much better with the addition of Montas, and Domingo German may eventually be headed to the bullpen as well to make room for the right-hander to join a group that includes Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, Nestor Cortes and Jordan Montgomery.

One more may eventually head to the bullpen if and when Luis Severino returns from the injured list.

It is all about October for New York at this point, and the cliche that one can never have too much pitching exists for a reason.

Severino's health is a question mark until he is back, and some of the other starters can eat critical middle innings during the playoffs over the course of a series. That may not even be needed, though, if Cole and Montas reach their potential as a lockdown one-two punch that could dictate a series by starting three or four games in every round.

Montas has a 3.18 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 109 strikeouts in 104.2 innings this season and was arguably the top starter available ahead of the deadline outside of Luis Castillo.

The Seattle Mariners landed Castillo from the Reds, so New York's counter will also help it match up with a fellow American League contender should they face them in the postseason.

Few teams in baseball can match the combination of Cole and Montas, which, when paired with the Yankees' powerful lineup, makes them even more of a threat to win the World Series. It may take only a couple of runs from Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton and Co. to win whenever they start.

Throw in Effross providing an answer to potential questions about bullpen depth ahead of Holmes, and there's little reason to doubt the Bronx Bombers' chances of parlaying their excellent regular season into a championship.

The New York Yankees acquired starting pitcher Frankie Montas and reliever Lou Trivino from the Oakland Athletics on Monday.

Oakland received minor league pitchers JP Sears, Ken Waldichuk and Luis Medina and infielder Cooper Bowman in return.

YES Network's Jack Curry first reported the deal.

Trivino is the second reliever the Yankees added Monday after they finalized a deal for the Chicago Cubs' Scott Effross.

This move continues Oakland's teardown. The A's already dealt Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Sean Manaea and Chris Bassitt, so it was only a matter of time before Montas followed them out the door.

The 29-year-old is arbitration-eligible for the 2023 season and due to hit free agency after the 2023 campaign. With his team anchored to the bottom of the American League West at 39-65, keeping him through the trade deadline made less practical sense than cashing in now.

Montas has done the A's a bit of a favor by putting together a strong 2022 campaign.

Things got off on a rather inauspicious note as he allowed five earned runs in a 9-5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Opening Day. That poor outing is an outlier, though. Through 19 appearances, the right-hander boasts a 3.18 ERA and a 3.36 FIP, per FanGraphs. He has struck out 9.4 batters and allowed 2.4 walks per nine innings.

While Montas doesn't boast exceptional strikeout numbers, he has gotten a high number of batters to swing at stuff out of the zone. According to Baseball Savant, his chase rate (33.2 percent) ranks in the 88th percentile.

His pitch selection might have something to do with that. He boasts a pretty close balance between his top four pitches: four-seam fastball (27.1 percent), sinker (22.0 percent), slider (15.6 percent) and splitter (26.0 percent), per Baseball Savant.

Anticipating what Montas will throw is easier said than done, making life difficult for those standing inside the batter's box.

For contenders looking to strengthen their rotations, the Dominican Republic native was one of the best arms on the market. It was a battle between him and Cincinnati Reds ace Luis Castillo, and they basically had an equal chance of leaving a last-place team.

Montas' arrival will have a significant impact on New York's staff the rest of the way and into 2023. And Trivino, who boasts a 3.84 FIP and 10 saves in 39 appearances, will fortify a bullpen that has been beset by injuries all season.

At least with regard to Montas, this isn't a trade the Bronx Bombers necessarily needed to make because they already had a strong five-man unit of Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Nestor Cortes, Jameson Taillon and Luis Severino.

Cortes' emergence in particular seemingly allowed the front office to abandon any pursuit of a high-profile arm. General manager Brian Cashman obviously begged to differ, and Severino's shoulder trouble might have had a lot to do with that.

The New York Yankees have acquired relief pitcher Scott Effross from the Chicago Cubs for minor league starting pitcher Hayden Wesneski.

Jack Curry of YES Network first reported the deal, with The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reporting the return. MLB.com ranks Wesneski as the Yankees' No. 7 prospect.

Effross' sidearm delivery has caused problems for hitters all year.

New @Yankees reliever Scott Effross has some nasty stuff. 👀 pic.twitter.com/WpyQy1ApTi

— MLB (@MLB) August 1, 2022

In 47 appearances, he has a 2.66 ERA and a 2.19 FIP while averaging 10.23 strikeouts per nine innings, according to FanGraphs. Opposing hitters also have a 35.0 percent chase rate and a paltry 3.4 barrel percentage, per Baseball Savant.

The 28-year-old doesn't have overwhelming stuff—his fastball averages 90.3 mph—but he can consistently get batters to chase stuff out of the zone and avoid danger when they do get their bat on the ball.

With Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET deadline rapidly approaching, the Yankees figured to address their bullpen in some form.

Zack Britton is still recovering from his Tommy John surgery last November. Chad Green was lost for the remainder of the year in May when it became clear he'd need the same procedure. A fractured right elbow sidelined Michael King for the rest of the season, too.

The Bronx Bombers needed to add reliever depth in preparation for the stretch run and the playoffs.

In the case of Effross, New York landed somebody who can help for years to come. He's under team control through the 2027 season, so this isn't a case of a team looking for a short-term stopgap.

His contract status allowed the Cubs to get a prospect who might become a regular contributor in the bigs.

Wesneski made his way up to Triple-A this year. In 19 starts for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, he's 6-7 with a 3.51 ERA and 83 strikeouts.

In June, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter listed the 24-year-old as one Yankees prospect who would potentially join the team this season.

"He doesn't miss many bats, with only 49 strikeouts for 7.7 K/9 rate, but he throws a ton of strikes and gets good natural sink on his fastball, which helps him keep it in the ballpark," Reuter wrote.

"At this point, Wesneski doesn't have much left to prove in the minors."