The New York Yankees came into 2025 with one goal: championship rings. They just missed the golden opportunity, given that they had star players Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. Yet they lost against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a brutal way and continued the drought that’s been on since 2009. So this time, the stakes are sky-high and the pressure is even higher. Plus, for the better part of the season, Judge has been putting together another historic season. Sure, he is sidelined with a flexor strain now, but thankfully, all signs point to his return soon.

That being said, before the injury, Captain Judge was chasing a record and carrying the offense on his back. It’s a reminder of why he wears the “C” for the pinstripes. But as the Yankees wait for his return, they have already traded for Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon. Even though before that, they had been connected to several names like Eugenio Suarez and Nolan Arenado. It was needed because the third base has been a weak spot for them, and they have cycled through a myriad of options with little success. It was almost a game of chess with them trying every piece. So, McMahon does bring in stability batting. 272 and a .786 OPS this season.

But here is one question no one is asking loud enough—is third base the only area that needs the most urgent upgrade? Because, while the Yankees were busy looking into their infield, the rotation has fallen into despair. And if they need October dreams, a deep post-season run, they need more than glove work—they need arms. Big arms.

Is the Yankees front office blind to rotation ruin?

Let’s be honest, the Yankees’ rotation is not just thin, it is wretched. Gerrit Cole is still on the injured list, and Clarke Schmidt has been out. Nestor Cortes is meanwhile trying to hold things together, and Carlos Rodon has been trying to. But with the bullpen not exactly airtight, the question is, shouldn’t Brian Cashman be working his phones more for arms? Sure, McMahon has performed and shown his worth already, and the Yankees already got Rosario, but big arms are needed for the postseason. And what makes this strategy even more mind-boggling is that this year’s trade market is flooded with pitching talent.

Take Dylan Cease, the White Sox right-hander. He has been drawing interest from several teams, and for a good reason: he has shown his ability to dominate and even finished second in AL Cy Young voting in 2022, and he has swing-and-miss stuff and does flash elite strikeout numbers. He is a pitcher who could shift the momentum for sure. And it’s not just him who is there.

There is Sandy Alcantara, the former Cy Young winner, who may not be at his best this season, but he is still a workhorse. He is basically a player built for October, with power stuff, deep innings, and big-game poise. If the Marlins are open to moving him, that’s a call the Yankees should be making. Another Marlin with an upside for the Yankees is Edward Cabrera. He is younger but more volatile than Alcantara. However, he comes with years of team control, and this makes him a long-term solution.

He is someone who can slot behind Cole and Schmidt, not just this season, but for the next few years. And then there is also Charlie Morton, who brings in a different appeal altogether. He is a 40-year-old veteran everyone wants on their team post-season because he has pitched in the big games. He knows how to navigate the lineup, and most crucial—he doesn’t falter under pressure. Even someone like Dustin May, when healthy, offers huge upside—so he could be a surprise deadline gem if the Dodgers deal. So with all this, one can make out that the Yankees don’t lack options in the trade market—they have a lack of direction.

Aaron Judge’s peak deserves better than this! 

Now let’s not lose the first to the trees here, because when everyone is talking about lineup holes and the trade deadline, the Yankees already have a valuable piece. The name—Aaron Judge. Before the captain hit the IL, he was on a tear, batting .342 with 37 home runs and 85 RBIs. So that’s not him having a “good season”—that’s MVP-caliber stuff, and even though he is sidelined now, the fact that he is still in the thick of the AL MVP race is proof.

Judge, in fact, is trailing only behind Cal Raleigh in the latest betting odds. And Raleigh has been having a great year, too, and has hit 40 bombs. Also, he is doing it while catching, so no one can pretend Judge was not on pace to make history this time again. That’s the kind of player that a team builds a championship around. Hence, it brings us to the big question—if the Yanks want to make this season count, then why are they not focusing in the right direction?

Is trading for a third baseman going to move the needle when Judge is doing everything to carry the team? Because when October rolls, it’s not the third baseman who is going to win you the tight games only. It’s the guy on the mound who has to go against the big bats. McMahon might help, but it’s the bat and the arms that decide how far the Yankees will go. When you have a generational star in the wake of a historic season, you can’t just fill holes. They need to build a strong machine around him. For now, that machine needs pitching oil more than ever.

Are the Yankees losing their identity?

Another wrinkle in this entire trade dilemma has been the Yankees moving away, essentially from tradition and culture. For the longest time, it’s been all about the Yankee way, right? The fact that they nurture the homegrown stars, and then fans love players who bleed pinstripes. However, there seems to be a shift now, and the fact that the team is open to trading almost anyone from their farm system says it all. Although they might not trade for top prospect George Lombard Jr. But they were the ones who had the Core Four in the 90s, right?

So if the team is going to part with the prospects to fill voids, shouldn’t it make sense to invest in a long-term piece, a front-line starter, or a high-leverage reliever? Someone who can shift the postseason odds: a controllable pitcher like Cabrera or someone like Cease, who offers more value than some marginal upgrade. But maybe that’s not driving these moves; maybe it’s pressure, both external and internal.

Hal Steinbrenner knows that this fanbase is restless, and Brian Cashman hears the jeers and boos, too. The Yankees have not won it all since 2009. Every season, they fall short in some way or another, and it’s another wasted chapter in Judge’s prime.

For now, if the front office doesn’t want another L banner in the Bronx, it’s time to act, and maybe not just focus on the infield.