Bronx Bomber Ball

The Yankees enter the second half of the season with a 62-33 record, which has them slotted in second place in the AL East behind the Boston Red Sox who are currently 4.5 games ahead with a 68-30 record to this point in the season. Following last year’s close encounter with the Minnesota Twins in the AL Wild Card game, the Yankees should definitely do their best to avoid the one game nightmare in this second half. The Yankees will begin this quest with a three game set against New York’s inferior team, the New York Mets. The Mets are currently sitting at the bottom of the NL East with a 39-55 record and the Yankees won two of the three meetings between the teams this season, signs which should indicate a Yankees’ series win. However, unfavorable pitching matchups could derail the Bronx Bombers in this Subway Series.

Until this afternoon, it was a near consensus that deGrom was likely staying put this season and especially not heading to his team’s crosstown rival in the Bronx. However, news broke today that deGrom’s agent has a not so subtle request for Mets’ management: Sign deGrom long-term or trade him. This is obviously paraphrased, but deGrom’s agent made his intentions pretty clear in a statement to Ken Rosenthal. “We have discussed Jacob’s future with the Mets at length. Jacob has expressed interest in exploring a long-term partnership that would keep him in a Mets uniform for years to come. If the Mets do not share the same interest, we believe their best course of action is to trade him now.” The Mets are dead last in the NL East and do not appear to be heading in a positive direction. If they do have no intentions of locking up their staff’s ace, they would be foolish on not trying to negotiate with the Yankees.   Photo Credit: Newsday

As we close in on the Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline on July 31st, it's about that time of year where we start analyzing potential trade targets as well as which prospects might be on the move as part of those deals.  Our own Maxx Hotton recently completed a series of pieces in which he previewed potential trade packages for  Jacob deGrom ,  Cole Hamels , JA Happ , and  Madison Bumgarner .  However, the trade deadline (as well as the weeks immediately following the conclusion of the World Series) are also a time for teams to starting thinking about future roster constructions and get their 40-man rosters in shape.   Left to Right: Justus Sheffield, Chance Adams, Dillon Tate Photo Credit: Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

Last year Cashman acquired Sonny Gray, Jaime Garcia, David Robertson, Tommy Khanle, and Todd Frazier before the July 31st deadline, which helped drive the Bombers to game seven of the ALCS, but they gave up some of their better prospect in the process. The team has its sights set on a championship, so GM Brian Cashman will undoubtedly upgrade the starting pitching at the deadline, but who and for what? Dailey News

Since Spring Training, it has seemed like a foregone conclusion: the Yankees will make a deal for a starting pitcher. Now, with the announcement on Tuesday that left-hander Jordan Montgomery will require Tommy John Surgery to repair his throwing elbow, the need is more pressing than ever. Thanks to a lack of consistency from everyone in the Yankees rotation aside from ace Luis Severino, Brian Cashman will have to work his magic again to ensure that New York has a fighting chance against their American League foes if the Yankees make a playoff run. So, what moves can Cashman reasonably make that would bolster the Yankees rotation for October baseball?   Photo Credit:  Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images