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2 top Yankees prospects on trade watch at 2026 deadline appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
With roughly two weeks remaining before the August 3 trade deadline, the New York Yankees are among the contenders looking to shore up specific roster needs before the stretch run. Shortstop Dax Kilby and right-hander Elmer Rodriguez stand out as the two most realistic prospect trade chips general manager Brian Cashman could dangle to fill those holes.
Why New York Is Shopping in the Minors
The Yankees enter deadline season with a clear shopping list: a catcher, preferably one who hits right-handed, and bullpen reinforcements, the latter an almost annual need under Cashman. To land that kind of talent, New York will likely have to dip into a farm system that has already been thinned by aggressive dealing in recent years; no team traded more Top 30 prospects than the Yankees between 2025 and 2026.
Two of the system’s most talented names are effectively off the table. Infielder George Lombard Jr., New York’s No. 1 prospect and No. 20 overall on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100, and RHP Carlos Lagrange, the organization’s No. 4 prospect and No. 80 overall, both appear to be non-starters in any deal. That leaves Kilby and Rodríguez as the two Top 100 prospects realistically in play as trade bait.
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Dax Kilby: A Talented Bat New York Wants to Keep
Kilby, a 19-year-old shortstop selected 39th overall in the 2025 draft, arrived in pro ball as one of the more polished high school bats in his class. He’s shown a left-handed bat with legitimate 20-20 potential, and MLB Pipeline ranks him No. 58 overall. Because of a history of shoulder issues and what evaluators have called “funky arm action,” many project his long-term future at second base or in center field rather than staying at shortstop.
Kilby’s 2026 season has been complicated by a hamstring injury that sidelined him for most of the year, though he recently began a rehab assignment. Despite the missed time, his tools, including plus speed and an advanced feel for contact, remain evident from his brief pro track record, where he hit .353 in his debut and posted a strong wRC+ during limited action. The Yankees would prefer to hang onto him given that upside, meaning it would likely take a significant return to pry him loose in a trade.
Elmer Rodriguez: New York’s Most Movable Trade Chip
Rodriguez may be the more logical player to move, both because of his readiness and because of New York’s depth at the position. The 22-year-old righty has already gotten a taste of the majors in 2026, making four starts and going 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA in his first exposure to big-league hitters. His results at Triple-A tell a different story, where he’s posted a sharp 2.85 ERA across 13 starts, suggesting his stuff still needs some polish against advanced lineups but plays well below the majors.
The bigger factor working against Rodriguez sticking in New York’s long-term plans is simple roster math. The Yankees already have Max Fried, Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler, Carlos Rodon, Ryan Weathers and Clarke Schmidt on the 40-man roster, with Lagrange also positioned to arrive soon, leaving little room for another young starter to break through. That depth makes Rodríguez expendable in a way few other Yankees pitching prospects are, and it’s part of why he’s viewed as the organization’s most appealing trade piece heading into deadline week.
Both players highlight the balancing act New York faces this deadline: parting with legitimate MLB Pipeline Top 100 talent to fix immediate holes at catcher and in the bullpen, while trying to protect the upside pieces, like Kilby, that the front office still views as part of its long-term core.
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