Even with many tries, one probably would not have been able to guess the Yankees’ moves at the 2026 Trade Deadline, making evaluating them a very peculiar task. With that in mind, we asked for your help with a poll that asked you to grade the Yankees’ deadline.
Before getting into it, we wanted to thank all 240 of you who voted in this poll, with the overwhelming results pointing to some form of disappointment.
A little over two-thirds of the votes went to options C and D, the two with very distinct definitions—C highlighting the frustration with not adding a catcher when the need was obvious, while D stressed the negligent way it approached the bullpen, failing to add any significant pieces to complement this unity.
Despite having the second most home runs in the sport, the Yankees’ offense is only number 10 in wRC+. Recent struggles and injuries aside, one of its primary issues has been the absolutely horrid production from the catching position.
Yankees catchers in 2026: .191/.268/.299 – 29 RBI (lowest in baseball)
The point about Austin Wells’ missed time contributing to this putrid line loses a lot of weight when he is still the number one responsible player for it. Granted, he and the rest of the catching depth chart do find a way to provide value above replacement on the defensive side, as our good friend Michael Zeno illustrated in this late May article here. In the end, that only takes you so far.
Maybe Hunter Goodman was unattainable, and perhaps Ryan Jeffers was no longer so easily available after the Twins decided to go for it, but not to do anything at all is a bad look. The counterpoint to this is that the one team that acquired a big-name catcher in this deadline did so by paying a price that the Yankees and other buying clubs were probably right in not doing so—or at least reasonably justified. As the old saying goes, the Red Sox made the Orioles an offer they couldn’t refuse.
For those of you who voted for option D, admittedly a higher number than I expected, there is probably a consensus that the level of performance this bullpen has shown across 162 doesn’t entirely match the trust it invokes come playoff time. After all, the Yankees do have the second-lowest bullpen ERA in the sport. Not to mention the feeling with bullpens that you can always get a bit better.
While the argument with catchers may primarily lie in just how brutal the production has been this season, with relievers the focus is different: all the opportunities that the market presented, each one of them passed up by the Yankees. While The Athletic and Cashman himself claimed the report that the Yankees had offered Will Warren for Adrián Morejón was untrue, it wasn’t a shocking proposition in terms of the Yankees seeking bullpen improvement.
Thinking it over, one might be inclined to believe this proposal didn’t happen. Had the Yankees been willing to part with Warren to improve their bullpen, one would figure they would have found a way to add someone else if the Padres had closed that door. Regardless of any conversations the Yankees may or may not have had with San Diego, they chose to stand pat. Luke Weaver, A.J. Minter, Ryan Zeferjahn, Erik Miller, Morejón himself, and several other productive relievers of different levels were all dealt for various prices, and the Yankees didn’t acquire any of them.
From a broader look at this voting, the frustrations towards not adding a catcher or a reliever share a similar outlook. Had the team made a bigger splash to improve its lineup, these two frustrations might not carry the same weight. The fact that most fans probably carry reservations about the potential impact of Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos inevitably affects how we view the lack of additions to the bullpen and the catching position. It is all connected.
Garcia’s home run in his first game in pinstripes was a nice welcome moment, but it’ll take more for everyone to buy in. Ramos doesn’t even have that impressive 2026 track record to back a bit more optimism. Sure, both of these players are more than capable of adding further depth to this lineup, but accounting for all this team could do, all they needed to do, and all that they ultimately did—seeing this in the light of what is expected of them—the frustrations are understandable.
It might not be the most pertinent item on the agenda—one could even debate the validity of letting it dictate the voting—but pointing out a lack of ammunition to make the moves that this team ultimately needed also falls on the front office. If you require a lot of help and lack the firepower to acquire it, at least in the way you’d prefer, then something has gone wrong along the way. Not having the farm system that allows you to be aggressive is of your doing.
These survey results are sponsored by FanDuel.
