Yankees Trade Big Board: Targets & Trade Chips Ranked Heading Into May

The Yankees' 2026 season hasn't been perfect, but there's been a lot more good than bad. With the Yankees' April schedule concluded, they sit atop the American League with a 20-11 record. This fills New York fans with hope that manager Aaron Boone has a legitimate World Series contender on his hands.

Of course, even the best things in life can be improved. The Bronx Bombers aren't an exception.

The Yankees have plenty of room for improvement, whether that means shoring up the bullpen, finding a potential catcher upgrade or even pulling off a surprise blockbuster to add an elite bat. General manager Brian Cashman needs to be aggressive in the market, both in targeting players and not being afraid to sell off prospects.

With that in mind, this article will take a look at 10 of the Yankees' top trade targets so far, as well as five of their best trade pieces. The rankings will be updated every few weeks or so as New York's season progresses and any potential target's situation changes.

Now, let's dive into things (Note: any statistics used are as of Thursday, April 30).

Yankees' top 10 trade targets

1. Isaac Paredes, IF/DH, Houston Astros

Isaac Paredes getting high fives in the dugout. — If Paredes is available, the Yankees should be all over him—even if the Astros are an unlikely trade partner. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

It's hard to imagine the Astros ever wanting to help the Yankees, but they might be desperate enough to do so after an 11-19 start. Should the Astros sell off pieces, versatile infielder Isaac Paredes will garner a lot of attention, which New York should take note of.

A two-time MLB All-Star, Paredes is having a down year, slashing .222/.320/.367 with three home runs, 14 RBIs and nine walks in 25 games (103 plate appearances). While not great, he'd still be an improvement over the struggling Ryan McMahon. Besides, a fresh start could get Paredes back on track, especially when he's reminded about what playing for a true contender feels like.

With a $13.35 million club option helping to avoid a one-year rental situation, the Yankees have every reason to keep tabs on Paredes.

2. Daniel Lynch IV, LHP, Kansas City Royals

The AL Central-worst Royals are another seller candidate, making Daniel Lynch IV a potential Yankees target. The former 2018 first-rounder set personal bests in wins (six) and ERA (3.06) in a career-high 57 relief appearances (67 2/3 innings), leaving everyone to wonder how he'd follow that performance up in 2026.

Daniel Lynch IV has had ice in his veins all season.

Excluding his muddy night outing against the Twins:
• 8.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R/0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K
• 89 pitches, 63 strikes

After stranding the bases loaded last night:
• Retired 12 straight batters & 23 of his last 25
• 9 IR, 0 IRS pic.twitter.com/gvVik3DuLQ
— Jake Eisenberg (@JakeEisenberg_) April 25, 2026

Well, it looks like Lynch had another level to his game. While there's plenty of season remaining, the 29-year-old southpaw sits at a 0.79 ERA with 13 strikeouts across 11 1/3 innings. He hasn't allowed an earned run since April 1 while operating as a reliable setup arm, notching two holds in his last five outings.

3. Adrián Morejón, LHP, San Diego Padres

Sticking with the theme of left-handed relievers, the Padres' Adrián Morejón is another player who might interest the Yankees. Even though San Diego is in a decent spot in the National League standings, the club's lack of starting pitchers—which New York has an abundance of—creates the perfect storm for an interleague deal.

Morejón is also heading towards unrestricted free agency, which could incentivize the Padres to trade him. His early-season effort may have scared off potential suitors; however, he's turned things around lately with a 1.93 ERA, four holds and a save in his last eight relief opportunities, which includes a dozen strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings.

4. Jacob deGrom, RHP, Texas Rangers

Jacob deGrom throws a pitch. — Rangers RHP Jacob deGrom is more than familiar with New York. Will the Yankes bring him back to the Big Apple? | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Rangers aren't in bottom-feeder territory yet, but a sub-.500 record to end April is beginning to point them in that direction. Continuing with the status quo could force Texas to trade some of its best pieces, with none having more name value than two-time NL Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom.

Even in his age-38 season, deGrom remains one of baseball's best pitchers. He's 2-1 with a 2.01 ERA through six starts, with his sole loss coming against the Yankees on April 28. Not only has he not experienced a losing record since 2016, but he's also 4-1 with a 2.90 ERA in five postseason appearances.

The Yankees' stellar starting rotation doesn't need deGrom, but the unit would certainly benefit from his presence. His familiarity with the Empire State from his time as a Met is a bonus, especially if the Yankees become the New York-based franchise that helps him finally win a World Series title.

5. Munetaka Murakami, 3B, Chicago White Sox

If the Yankees are looking for power before the trade deadline, Munetaka Murakami could be their guy. Yes, it was only in the offseason that the 26-year-old slugger signed a two-year deal with the White Sox; however, their losing record—combined with his hot start—could prompt the AL Central club to attempt to capitalize on the situation.

ホワイトソックス村上宗隆

11号ホームラン🔥

murakami munetaka 📹@CHSN_WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/2TIepIeyhW
— 【MLB速報】放送地区【大谷速報】 (@MLB_comment) April 25, 2026

The Japanese first baseman leads the Majors with 12 home runs to end April, slashing .236/.375/.564 with 25 walks across 136 PAs. His average exit velocity (95.2 mph) and home run percentage (8.8%) are noticeably above the MLB averages (88.4 mph and 2.8%, respectively). That's without mentioning his 63.1% hard-hit rate (average is 37.0%), cementing why his bat would look great in the Yankees' lineup.

New York would likely need to trade some top prospects to land Murakami, but that's a sacrifice worth making to bring him to the Big Apple. A lineup with him, Aaron Judge, Ben Rice, Giancarlo Stanton and more is enough to give opposing nightmares for a long time.

More targets to watch:

6. Ryan Walker, RHP, San Francisco Giants (0-0, 3.00 ERA and 12 Ks in 12 games)
7. Willi Castro, Utility, Colorado Rockies (one HR, 10 RBIs, .260/.333/.370 in 23 games)
8. Luis Severino, RHP, Athletics (2-2, 4.46 ERA and 40 Ks in seven games)
9. Ryan Jeffers, C, Minnesota Twins (three HRs, 18 RBIs, .293/.418/.467 in 23 games)
10. Jake Cronenworth, IF, San Diego Padres (one HR, four RBIs, .146/.276/.202 in 29 games)

Five most likely Yankees to be traded

1. Carlos Lagrange, RHP

Carlos Lagrange throwing a pitch. — Carlos Lagrange is one of the Yankees' best trade pieces. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If the Yankees want to add a difference-making trade acquisition this summer, a potential deal could see Carlos Lagrange going the other way. The 22-year-old Dominican pitcher is fairly close to being MLB-ready, but New York's rotational logjam is preventing him from joining the mix. As such, the Yankees could try weaponizing his potential in a trade.

Although an 0-2 record through five starts isn't exciting, Lagrange has still pitched to a 3.66 ERA while striking out 26 batters. He's limited opponents to exactly one earned run in each of his last three outings, demonstrating the consistency that pitcher-hungry teams love to see in young arms.

As great as it'd be to see Lagrange winning games for the Yankees, he can help them just as well by being part of a possible blockbuster deal.

2. Spencer Jones, OF

Drafted 25th overall in 2022, Spencer Jones drew immediate comparisons to Aaron Judge due to both being gargantuan outfielders out of California. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound Jones is proving those similarities to be true as he improves each season, including as he slashes .242/.364/.538 with seven homers, 30 RBIs, 15 walks and five stolen bases in 26 Triple-A contests.

Spencer Jones ... AGAIN!!

The @Yankees' 2022 first-rounder crushes his second homer of the game for the Triple-A @swbrailriders -- 107.1 mph | 424 ft. pic.twitter.com/TGCD7smyXI
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 29, 2026

The Yankees' outfield is full with Judge, Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger occupying the starting spots, making it difficult to see where Jones fits in. He could platoon between the designated hitter role and one of the OF spots, but that isn't a recipe for success. Throw in a few concerns about his performance, and it might be best to use Jones as a trade chip rather than playing the waiting game for a call-up.

Other teams could be intrigued about the idea of adding their own Judge-lite to the lineup, so why not capitalize on that interest by trading him to bolster another area of New York's roster?

3. Ben Hess, RHP

Ben Hess standing during player portraits. — The Yankees' starting pitching logjam could force them to trade Ben Hess. | New York Yankees via Imagn Images

Ben Hess is another pitching prospect whom the Yankees might be better off trading because of the logjam ahead of him.

The 2024 first-rounder made his minor-league debut last season and didn't disappoint, going 7-4 with a 3.22 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 22 starts between Double-A Somerset and High-A Hudson Valley. He is following that performance up with a 1-0 record and 3.52 ERA after two starts this season, striking out 14 batters while issuing eight walks.

He struggles with control at times, but that doesn't mean another team won't find Hess attractive. His 24th birthday isn't until September, offering plenty of time to reach his potential. New York isn't the right spot to help with that, which is why Hess must continue pitching well enough to bolster his value and increase the likelihood of finding a home with a direct path to MLB playing time.

4. Jasson Domínguez, OF

Yankees fans have been waiting a while to see Jasson Domínguez become an everyday big-leaguer. Unfortunately, something always seems to happen to prevent him from taking the next step. The latest incident occurred during his latest MLB call-up, when he was hit by a pitch and forced to leave Wednesday's loss to the Texas Rangers with an elbow contusion.

Trainer took a long look at Jasson Dominguez after this hit by pitch on the elbow, but he's staying in the game pic.twitter.com/3mAK89gC84
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 29, 2026

Despite his potential, the Yankees might be tired of the back-and-forth game with Domínguez, wanting to use his bat as a potential trade chip instead. Even if his development hasn't been smooth, his minor-league performance (.326/.425/.478 with three HRs and 15 RBIs in 24 games) shows interested suitors what he's capable of. He also has 152 games of major-league experience under his belt since 2023, so it isn't as if he's completely untested.

Much like Jones, Domínguez is dealing with the loaded outfield in front of him. The Yankees can do right by him (and themselves) by shopping him around, potentially as a central piece to land another reliever or third-base upgrade.

5. Will Warren, RHP

Will Warren throwing a pitch. — The Yankees could use Will Warren's strong performance to shop him around. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Will Warren resembled a decent MLB starter last season, but he's since taken his game to new heights in 2026. The former Southeastern Louisiana arm is a perfect 3-0 with a 2.59 ERA through six starts, striking out 37 batters in 31 1/3 innings while limiting batters to a .634 OPS. For reference, the big-league average for OPS is .715.

As well as he is pitching, the Yankees' rotation will be even more crowded when Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón make their eventual returns. Assuming that both veterans rejoin the team as starters, Warren and Ryan Weathers are the likeliest candidates to lose their jobs. Weathers has more bullpen appeal, though, which could incentivize New York to trade Warren elsewhere.

While it would be sad to see him go, the Yankees' rotation can survive without Warren. The fact that he's under team control through 2030 will benefit New York in trade negotiations, offering a potential partner a long-term option for their team. Trading Warren would help make room for Lagrange and Hess, should Cashman hold onto both if he has no plans to extend Rodón's and Cole's tenures.

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