Yankees Reportedly May Put Cam Schlittler in Bullpen if Fail to Make Trade amid Rumors

Having already made a couple of small moves to fill out their lineup, the New York Yankees are now focused on how to improve their bullpen leading up to the trade deadline.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, the Yankees could shift rookie starter Cam Schlittler into a relief role if they are unable to add another arm to the bullpen.

The Yankees have acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon and outfielder Austin Slater in the past week to fill out their depth. McMahon gives them a steady defender at the hot corner, while Slater can platoon against left-handed pitching as they wait for Aaron Judge to return from an elbow injury.

Pitching, both starting and relief, remains an issue for general manager Brian Cashman to address. The Yankees are tied for 17th in ERA from their entire staff, but the bullpen ranks 21st in that category.

There are five Yankees relievers who have made at least 40 appearances this season. Tim Hill and Luke Weaver are the only members from that group with a sub-4.00 ERA. Devin Williams has settled in after a terrible start, posting a 2.51 ERA in 30 appearances since May 7.

David Bednar, who is under team control through 2026, is in the midst of arguably the best season of his career. The Pittsburgh Pirates closer is sporting a 2.37 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 38 innings.

Per Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates' asking price for Bednar is at least a top-five prospect from a team's farm system. Hiles cited the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies as clubs that have shown interest in the right-hander.

The Phillies may have taken themselves out of the equation after acquiring Jhoan Durán from the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.

If Cashman doesn't want to pay a steep price for a reliever, Schlittler has the type of arsenal that could translate well to short stints. His average fastball velocity is 97.8 mph and he has a chase rate of 31.8 percent in 14.2 innings over three starts, per Baseball Savant.

The Yankees are four games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East, but they hold a one game lead over the Boston Red Sox for the No. 1 wild card spot.