New York Yankees three-time most valuable player, and seven-time All Star, Aaron Judge, remains sidelined while dealing with a stress fracture on the first rib of his right side.
Most teams can withstand a an injury to a major team contributor. Most players can be replaced.
But this is Aaron Judge.
When the injury was first announced, sporting news.com indicated Judge…”will be re-imaged in four to six weeks.”
When Judge played his last game May 31, 2026 against the Athletics, he had had 10 doubles, 17 home runs, and had driven in 38 runs for New York. While he was hitting only .248, Judge had scored 43 runs.
The Yankees, while they lead the tough American League East Division slightly over the Tampa Bay Rays, can ill afford to go into an offensive slump.
Will The New York Yankees Turn To The Trade Market?
Might the Yankees seek to trade their top prospect, George Lombard Jr. , 21, in hopes of upgrading their offense, their catching room, or their bullpen?
A player like Lombard Jr., a right-handed infielder, might fetch just the veteran player that can make a difference for the Yankees down the stretch.
For this old scout, the name of Detroit Tigers left-handed hitting Kerry Carpenter comes to mind as a power-hitting veteran that might appeal to New York.
Carpenter, 28, is in the prime of his career.
At 6-1, 220 pounds, Carpenter is strong and dangerous as a slugger.
The Yankees would gain a considerable amount of control over Carpenter’s contract.
Carpenter is working on a one-year, $3.28 Million contract. He is still arbitration eligible, until he can become a free agent in 2029.
Carpenter crushes right-handed pitching. He would be an ideal fit as a designated hitter or in right field, especially in games at Yankee Stadium.
Carpenter hit 26 home runs for the Tigers last season. He drove in 62 runs.
Carpenter missed time with a barking shoulder this year, but he is back healthy. He has nine homers in 157 plate appearances this season.
Fansided.com has looked at several potential Tigers trade chips. This is among what they said about Kerry Carpenter: Carpenter is…”a destroyer of worlds against right-handed pitching who posted an .812 OPS in such matchups last season.”
The Tigers have platooned Carpenter, removing him against left-handed pitching. That’s not to say he wouldn’t find success against lefties, if data quantifies a particular lefty or two as a favorable matchup for Carpenter.
But Lombard Jr. is the Yankees No. 1 prospect, as noted by MLB.com.
So yes, Lombard Jr. would be a steep price to pay for a hitter like Carpenter.
But Lombard Jr. is an unproven prospect.
Carpenter is a proven power hitter, capable of ending a game with one swing from the left batter’s box.
With the Rays, and potentially additional teams breathing down the necks of the Yankees for supremacy in the AL East, it make sense for New York to explore the trade market to find a player or players that can add some immediate pop in their lineup.
The team does have the powerful Ben Rice, steady Cody Bellinger, and possibly even Jazz Chisholm and Paul Goldschmidt capable of delivering the long ball.
None of those equal the threat of Aaron Judge.
If the Yankees can’t find a big bat to add some clout to their lineup, maybe they look to upgrade shortstop, catcher, or the bullpen.
In those cases, it isn’t likely George Lombard Jr. would be the right trade chip. Maybe it would take a different player or mix of players to fetch a lineup upgrade.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is likely kicking the tires on several teams.
The Houston Astros come to mind.
As noted by si.com, the Astros could make shortstop Jeremy Pena, and left-handed reliever, Josh Hader available.
Both Pena and Hader would extract a hefty price.
As sports.yahoo has pointed out, the Yankees may want to upgrade their catching room with the addition of veteran Carson Kelly. The article noted, “”But while he might not be too expensive, he would be a huge upgrade for the current catching room.”
Conclusions About New York Yankees Trade Needs:
It is impossible for the Yankees to replace All World Aaron Judge during the time of his injury absence.
However, a player like Detroit Tigers outfielder, Kerry Carpenter might offer just the type of firepower the Yankees need heading to the second half of the season.
Carpenter, a left-handed hitter, would be ideal with the right-field friendly Yankee Stadium porch.
Money should not be an issue for the New York Yankees to obtain Carpenter.
To obtain a player like Carpenter, the Yankees may have to trade top prospect George Lombard, Jr. to add the pop the New York Yankees need for the stretch run.