Yankees Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Madison Bumgarner, Trevor Bauer, More

As they look to strengthen their starting rotation ahead of the July 31 deadline, the New York Yankees have evaluated a number of potential trade candidates.

MLB.com's Bryan Hoch reported Wednesday the Yankees "would love" for the Cleveland Indians to make Trevor Bauer available, though the Indians' recent surge might dampen their enthusiasm for a Bauer trade.

New York is a little more lukewarm on Madison Bumgarner, though, and Hoch reported the New York Mets are unlikely to deal Noah Syndergaard or Zack Wheeler to their crosstown rivals "no matter the return."

Hoch also threw out Marcus Stroman and Matthew Boyd as targets. In both cases, the trade demands of their respective teams could prevent the Yankees from completing any deal. Hoch wrote general manager Brian Cashman doesn't want to give up shortstop Gleyber Torres.

Stroman and Bauer have one more year of arbitration before they're eligible for free agency, which gives the Indians and Toronto Blue Jays some additional leverage. Boyd, meanwhile, is under team control through 2022, so the Detroit Tigers don't have a compelling reason to move him now barring a huge offer.

Entering the season, the rotation was New York's biggest area of weakness. Injuries to Domingo German and James Paxton earlier in the year exacerbated the issue.

Now with everybody healthy, Cashman's desire to upgrade his pitching staff is understandable. Yankees starters are 21st in FIP (4.85), per FanGraphs. J.A. Happ owns a 5.23 ERA, and CC Sabathia's 4.50 ERA is nearly a full run higher compared to 2018 (3.65).

New York can stand pat at the deadline and remain a title contender. It has one of MLB's best bullpens, upon which it will naturally lean more heavily in the postseason. The offense is third in weighted on-base average (.344) as well, according to FanGraphs.

As much as the Yankees would benefit from adding a proven starting pitcher, Cashman is smart to set some sort of limit on how much he'd be willing to give up.

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This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

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