
The Yankees have a growing list of needs, including a high-strikeout reliever for their 'pen (sound familiar?) one to two mid-level starters after injuries to Clarke Schmidt, Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil and Ryan Yarbrough, among others, as well as a third baseman.
At third base, they have been linked to Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suarez, who expressed interest in 'helping {the Yankees} win a World Series' at this week's All-Star festivities.
Starting pitching rumors have been all over the map, especially after the Yankees' call up of No. 10 prospect Cam Schlittler, who showcased high-octane start in his July 9th debut, in which he got the win.
On Thursday, however, Noah Giles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette linked the Yankees to Pirates starter Mitch Keller, whose name has been tossed around as the Pirates explore non-Paul Skenes trade options to improve their squad heading into 2026.
Keller, who has three years of team control after this year, would be a premium asset for a team that isn't getting much younger. The 29-year-old signed a five-year, $77 million deal prior to the 2024 season.
Keller's contract, however ($16.5 million in 2026, $18 million in 2026, $20 million in 2027) would be an expensive commitment for the Yankees, who would be taxed at a 110% clip due to their luxury tax status.
FanGraphs projects the Yankees to have a payroll of $187 million in 2026, and MLBTradeRumors opined that arbitration raises for Anthony Volpe, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Fernando Cruz may cause that to be an underestimate.
The Yankees might decide that Keller's hefty contract is worth taking on, especially given the presence of Marcus Stroman as their No. 5 starter (which would have seemed lofty given New York's immense starting pitching depth coming into the season). Keller would still provide three years of strong service for a team in need of a consistent arm behind Max Fried and Carlos Rodon.