Hey, why not?

Though some New York Yankees fans are losing their minds right now because of the team’s current 3-6 stretch against the Red Sox, Orioles and Braves, some of us aren’t that dejected (yet). That was admittedly a tough stretch for the Yanks and it coincided with their worst play of the season.

Plus, it’s at least clear Brian Cashman and the front office are acting with urgency in 2024. They aggressively promoted surging prospect Ben Rice after Anthony Rizzo’s injury. They traded for JD Davis after Giancarlo Stanton’s injury. Those are decisions with clear intention.

That said … we’d still love to see upgrades over at least two of Jahmai Jones, Oswaldo Cabrera and Trent Grisham. On top of that, the team can only tolerate the lackluster production from Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu for so long. All five of these players cannot be rostered and/or receiving everyday reps after the trade deadline.

As for the pitching staff, we can’t say Phil Bickford, Tim Hill and Caleb Ferguson will be here for the long haul. When we dive deeper into roles, it’s not very clear where Tommy Kahnle, Michael Tonkin and Yoendrys Gomez fit in.

There’s a little over a month to figure that out, but for now we have some new trade deadline targets to ponder, courtesy of MLB insider Mark Feinsand.

Yankees Rumors: 2 new trade deadline candidates emerge via MLB insider

We’ve heard the name Tanner Scott plenty, especially since the Miami Marlins have been already selling off. He’s becoming a low-hanging fruit option for any team in need of a lefty reliever with swing-and-miss ability. He won’t come cheap, either, as he’s logged a 1.64 ERA with 35 strikeouts and nine saves in 33 innings of work.

Feinsand presented a couple of unexpected/under-the-radar options for New York, too: LA Angels reliever Carlos Estevez and Chicago White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn.

Estevez is a right-hander coming off an All-Star campaign. In 2024, he’s had some ups and downs, but has pitched to a solid 3.38 ERA and amazing 0.83 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and 14 saves in 24 innings. He may not be inexpensive, but as a right-hander, he could help the Yankees get a bit of a discount (and they can stand to improve their righty offerings in the ‘pen).

Then there’s Vaughn, who could fit the Yankees’ longer-term picture. The White Sox slugger is controllable through 2026 and, though he’s a righty bat, offers considerable pop and has improved his defense every year he’s been in the majors. The first baseman’s 162-game averages come out to 21 homers, 80 RBI, a .725 OPS and 100 OPS+. That’s not anything special. but it’d be better than most beyond the Yankees’ top-heavy lineup in 2024. Not to mention, the Yankees will need a first baseman after this season if Ben Rice can’t come through for the time being (and assuming Anthony Rizzo’s $17 million option is rejected).

These options might not convince fans from the jump, but it’s time to start thinking outside of the box instead of incessantly focusing on the same big names we’re hearing on a weekly basis. This is a good start.