All-Star Break Is Here: Let the Yankees Trade Rumors Begin
Baseball will never experience anything like what happened to the NBA in 2017 when its Sunday night All-Star game was overshadowed by a trade. Don't ask anyone 'who won?' without having them look it up (192-182 Western Conference). Chances are, most people remember the night for the blockbuster trade emerging in the immediate aftermath rather than the game's outcome.
The trade in question: DeMarcus Cousins was sent from the Sacramento Kings to the New Orleans Pelicans to give Anthony Davis some help. It was apparent he was being dealt after his two-minute appearance in the game. That deal's timing was because the NBA's trade deadline was the final Thursday of February back then. A year later, to avoid losing some focus on the All-Star game, the league moved it up to the first Thursday of the month.
A trade unfolding during the MLB All-Star game is unlikely, but after that, anything goes in the build-up to the Aug. 3 deadline, which is four days later than last year. Last year was so chaotic that Jose Caballero turned a double play for the Rays in the seventh inning and conducted his postgame interview as a member of the Yankees.
The last time a trade occurred during the All-Star break was the 2018 swap that sent Manny Machado from the Orioles to the Dodgers for five players, a day after he was the starting American League shortstop.
Trade proposals dominate sports talk radio
Since there are not any games until the Mets visit the Phillies on Thursday and virtually no callers are chatting up hosts about Summer League basketball, hockey offseason moves, and the looming start of NFL training camps, the discussion of various trade possibilities emerges.
Some are unrealistic, others are unfeasible, and some might make sense if you think about it.
Most of them involve the Yankees -- whose vibe into the All-Star break, thanks to a four-game winning streak, is better than a week ago. Others wonder what the Mets might do as a seller, something that was hardly expected four months ago, even as they took their chances on several new players.
The proposals will likely still consume some of the airtime on sports radio, and maybe some new ones will be added to the mix as fringe teams fall further behind and realize they might be better suited as sellers.
Suggesting Rafael Devers to the Yankees
One of the names frequently heard was Rafael Devers to the Yankees from the Giants. While no trade for him is likely or close, it's a pretty safe bet Gerrit Cole would welcome him to the Bronx for the sole reason of never having to face the slugger again.
Among the reasons cited by callers and hosts for Devers coming to the Yankees is a lack of confidence in Giancarlo Stanton's return from a calf injury that has sidelined him for nearly three months and has shown few signs of healing. Another is adding a left-handed bat who owns a World Series ring with the Red Sox and a .303 average in 26 postseason games.
Devers is a good idea in the theory of Stanton's uncertainty, and the fact that his 19 homers and 52 RBIs with a lefty bat in pitcher-friendly San Francisco are similar to his past numbers. However, there is concern about his batting average and OPS declining for the second straight season, and the fact that he struck out 192 times last season, up from 147 times in 2024.
Acquiring him might make sense in some forms, but then if Stanton comes back, it's hard to see a lefty-righty DH platoon with a pair of established hitters.
Plus, if Aaron Judge returns before Stanton, the Yankees would like to reserve DH spots for the three-time MVP and would not put Devers in the field.
What about starting pitching for the Yankees?
Joe Ryan and Tarik Skubal may or may not be the biggest names out there, a fact that is contingent on how the Twins and Tigers play out of the All-Star break.
Both players contributed to the Twins and Tigers playing extremely well in Yankee Stadium two weeks ago, and those teams are firmly in the mix in the wild card and the AL Central.
The Twins headed into the break one game under .500 by winning 16 of their final 25 games to go from being six games out to a three-game deficit in the AL Central. New owner Tom Pohlad has also made it clear he would like to avoid things like last year's massive sell-off.
Skubal is heading into free agency and showed his Cy Young form against the Yankees on June 30. He is also on a team that is 22-14 since the end of May, and while it only results in a 44-52 record, that means you are in the mix for an AL wild-card spot.
Still, it seems Skubal is more likely to be dealt than Ryan, and the trade proposals to talk radio airwaves are flowing with calls imploring the Yankees to make a deal.
What about Mets proposals?
By now, people are watching the Mets for a few reasons.
The first is that some viewers are fans of the opposing team, like the many Red Sox fans flooding Citi Field for an enjoyable three-game sweep.
The second is that people are still diehard Met fans and loyal to the team, even if it is arguably the most disappointing team in their lifetime.
The last is the trainwreck effect, which is described as something being such a disaster that observers are compelled by it and simply want to see what will go wrong next.
The Mets headed into the All-Star break at 40-57, their worst record through 97 games since 2018.
Other than Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, and youngsters Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge, the belief is that everything could be for sale.
That being said, one of the more unrealistic proposals brought up by a caller was trading Lindor for Anthony Volpe Jr., while another added Jazz Chisholm Jr to the conversation.
While Lindor would certainly be an upgrade at shortstop, it is extremely unlikely the Yankees would absorb the approximately $170.5 million remaining on his contract.
Others suggest Luke Weaver returning to the Yankees for the final year and a half of his two-year deal. Weaver thrived in 2024 but struggled last season and was not in the circle of trust by the end of the Division Series, so while it is possible, it also seems unlikely.
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What trades might be realistic for the Yankees?
Even if he has not said it publicly, GM Brian Cashman is on the phone or exchanging text message ideas that may be insulting. Some of those ideas may never see the light of day, while others could get modified into what actually happens.
For the Yankees, they will probably seek and acquire a reliever even though their 3.04 ERA from relievers is the best in baseball.
During All-Star media day, Mason Miller's name was mentioned, and while the Padres are flirting with fading out of the race, it might be difficult to see them moving on, given the prospects they sent to the A's last year.
The Yankees are set in the outfield, especially when and if Judge returns, so it's unlikely they seek another starting outfielder. They will likely seek a catcher with the two most coveted names being Minnesota's Ryan Jeffers and Colorado All-Star Hunter Goodman.
Often, the actual trade is something callers and fans did not think of, and when it is one of the quietest days on the sports schedule, speculation rules the day for radio stations seeking to fill airtime between commercials.
Related: What Chris Sale Told Us About Mariano Rivera at All-Star Game
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This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 1:07 PM.