Yankees Monday Mailbag 7/20: Cam Schlittler's Cy Young Case and Replacing Carlos Lagrange

Readers questions for this week's Yankees mailbag focus on Cam Schlittler, how the New York Yankees will replace Carlos Lagrange, and what catcher they'll land at the deadline.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) reacts after being taken out of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a pitching change during the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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

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

Will Cam Schlittler still bring home the hardware at the end of the season?

Is Cam Schlittler still the Cy Young favorite?

@mattman1199

Cam Schlittler's start against the Dodgers was disappointing. He had great stuff that game, getting eight strikeouts against a tough Dodgers lineup, but does it even matter when you're getting pulled in the fifth? If this is the version of Schlittler that the Yankees see down the stretch, this could be Joe Ryan or Parker Messick's award to win.

Maybe this is more of a glass-half-full look at his season, but he should still be the frontrunner. That was a tough Dodger lineup, so let's see how he rebounds in his next start and the following weeks. His track record should lead us to believe that he'll bounce back. Who knows? Maybe that start could have been a learning experience in navigating a tough team like LA.

The Yankees still have a hole in their bullpen they were hoping to replace internally

How do the Yankees replace the loss of Carlos Lagrange?

@ThePinstripeBugle

The million-dollar question! Everybody is forgetting how big a role Lagrange was going to play, and by now he should have been up in the big leagues. If the rotation is healthy and both Carlos Rodón and Max Fried are back, it does look like Ryan Weathers could be the candidate for that job.

The question there is, when would that be? Between now and October, that can change. The answer could change by the trade deadline. There's a world where the Yankees put Will Warren in a deal for Mason Miller, and that makes Weathers' job more important, and it looks like he would enter the bullpen in October.

New York Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers (40) throws to the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another name to look at is Ben Grable. Grable was drafted just last year at pick 344. He's a hard thrower with a wicked fastball. It gets 20.5 to 21 inches of vertical break, and that is about what Alex Vesia gets on his. If you noticed on Sunday night, Vesia carved the Yankees up with his heater.

Grable is a gamble, but it feels like after Schlittler and Trey Yesavage had starring roles in the postseason last year, younger and younger players are getting the spotlight. Why not Grable?

Who is the big upgrade from Austin Wells?

Who are some catchers you want to see the Yankees trade for?

@theezratakeshita

Hunter Goodman is at the top of everybody's list. Rightfully so. He has the type of offense that few catchers have in the league.

Ryan Jeffers is another name that has been thrown around. Considering the Dodgers could be in the mix here, if Jeffers is at the top of their board, then the Yankees should pounce immediately. It's a matter of whether the Twins will be sellers, of course, which does complicate things.

Shea Langeliers is a name that might end up being talked about more now that he turned down an extension from the Athletics. Langeliers comes with a year less of control than Goodman. Goodman is a free agent in 2030, and Langeliers hits the market in 2029. The price might be a little cheaper, but not by much. In his last two years, he's hitting .270/.326/.518 with a 129 wRC+, so he would be a solid add.

Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) looks on during the game against the San Francisco Giants at Sutter Health Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Moving a pair of infielders

What's it going to take to move on from Jazz and Volpe?

@76_elbarto

Volpe has the best chance of being gone at the deadline. Chisholm has had his moments. There was the home run against the Nationals and then the one on Sunday Night Baseball. But the issue is his tendency to fall into long stretches of ineffectiveness, not his ability to come through with occasional big moments.

If the Yankees traded for Luis Arraez, which would seem unlikely at this point, he would be an upgrade from Chisholm. It's just a matter of where the Yankees send their current second baseman and what they would get back. The Giants are taking Chisholm because they have no shot at the playoffs.

Thankfully, the playoff picture opens things up a bit more, so the Yankees have options where they could swap Chisholm for another area of need if they feel they have a second baseman in place. Three teams are within three games of a Wild Card spot in the American League. There are five teams in that position in the NL. One of them could be a Chisholm suitor if they have a player who can offer comparable value to what he brings, but at a different position.