Yankees Monday Mailbag 6/29: World Series Odds, Trade Deadline Decisions and Replacing Boone With AI

Readers questions for this week's Yankees mailbag focus on the Yankees chances at the World Series and wondering if a robot can take Aaron Boone's job.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) walks back to the dugout in the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

To submit your questions, reach out to Joseph Randazzo on X or Instagram at @YankeeLibrarian.

Here are answers to five of the most pressing questions that were on Yankees fans' minds this week:

Do you think they have a chance at winning the World Series?

@gskiff35, Instagram

If the team in October is rolling out Spencer Jones, Jasson Domínguez, Oswaldo Cabrera, Amed Rosario, and Austin Wells all at once, their chance at winning a World Series is next to nothing. Assuming they're healthier by the time the playoffs get here, they should have as good a shot as anybody to win a World Series.

This team will look much better than the one that's on the field right now, and by then, Gerrit Cole will also have more reps. Same with Carlos Rodón, but it's hard to trust his playoff résumé.

Which reliever should the Yankees most aggressively pursue before the deadline?

@Joenajarian, Instagram

It would have been great if the Philadelphia Phillies had continued being bad. They have turned things around, though, so Jhoan Duran likely isn't available. I don't expect Mason Miller to be available either. The Padres usually add at the deadline if they have a chance, and they're not so far out of the wild-card hunt.

Just combing through the teams that look to be out of the playoff picture, one underrated name that's intriguing is Chase Silseth from the Angels. Silseth was part of that Angels draft, where they focused on pitching that year, and he looks to be one of the best from that class. He averages 96 mph on his fastball and has a 30.4% hard-hit rate.

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Chase Silseth (63) celebrates with catcher Logan O'Hoppe (14) after beating the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

His fastball, in general, is pretty wicked. Hitters are hitting .150 and slugging .175 against it. It's his most-used pitch, and he has a 38.3% whiff rate.

Do you think ChatGPT could manage this team better than Aaron Boone?

@dinomite14

This is the lineup that ChatGPT spit out.

• Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B
• Ben Rice, 1B
• Cody Bellinger, LF
• Austin Wells, C
• Jasson Domínguez, CF (if active)
• Anthony Volpe, SS
• Oswaldo Cabrera, 3B
• José Caballero, RF/utility
• Best available right-handed bat (depending on the day's roster)

Ironically enough, just like Aaron Boone on Sunday, he left Paul Goldschmidt off the lineup card, and they got no-hit by Sonny Gray into the eighth inning. The robot even had a chance to name him in the nine-hole, but just said whatever righty is available. Turns out they're just about the same.

New York Yankees designated hitter Paul Goldschmidt (48) hits a double against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Do the Yankees HAVE to do anything at the deadline?

@mattman1199

Technically, they don't HAVE to do anything. The lineup is pretty solid once they're healthy, and a rotation of Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, and Carlos Rodón will be the best in the league on paper.

For me, though, they must add a third baseman or catcher. I'm leaning toward third baseman, but any way they can upgrade the bottom of the order is good with me. Ryan McMahon and Austin Wells hitting eighth and ninth is untenable. Their defense is good, but that leaves them with essentially a seven-hitter lineup and two holes.

If Tarik Skubal is available, he should be the primary target. Look, the Dodgers will head into the postseason with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and Justin Wrobleski, who has been super underrated in the league. You know they're going to go hard for Skubal.

Replace Wrobleski with Skubal, and that rotation probably clears the Yankees. It would probably be good to do whatever they can to upgrade their arms, while also keeping the best pitcher available from standing in their way.

How worried are you about Ben Rice's current slump?

@theezratakeshita

I'm not that worried. It's understandable to see him not performing well and wondering what's going on. Since the series in Detroit, Rice has had two hits in 27 plate appearances. It's an ugly run.

It feels like every hitter who isn't on the IL is slumping, though. Rice, Cody Bellinger, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. are all ice cold. The only one who has produced is Paul Goldschmidt, and that's not sustainable to count on him until both Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham are healthy. They're all probably slumping, and now, with Rice, Robin has essentially been asked to put on Batman's cowl. I would imagine he's pressing.