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Aaron Boone speaks to the press.

The New York Yankees should be one of the more active teams at this year’s Major League Baseball trade deadline on July 31.

With the recent news that right-handed reliever Jake Cousins is likely to undergo Tommy John Surgery, and the absence of Luke Weaver, the Yankees might need an arm or two for the bullpen.

Sports Illustrated’s Matthew Schmidt believes the Miami Marlins and Yankees could make good trade partners, just like they did a season ago. The Marlins sent third/second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the Yankees for catching prospect Augustin Ramirez and infielders Jared Serna and Abrahan Ramirez.

Yankees’ Outfield Has No Room for Slugging Prospect

Everson Pereira is stuck at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for the New York Yankees in 2025. New York’s Major League outfield is crowded with Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Jasson Dominguez, and Trent Grisham.

Pereira, 24, enjoyed a short 27-game stint with the Yankees in 2023 but missed most of the 2024 season after UCL surgery last June. A move to the Miami Marlins would help the righty receive a large number of at-bats against MLB pitching and increase his overall playing time.

Pereira has hit .255/.346/.485 with a .830 OPS and 11 home runs in 44 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2025.

“The problem for the Yankees is that there is really no room for Pereira,” Schmidt wrote. “Their outfield is full, and they already have a pretty clogged rotation at designated hitter, especially with Giancarlo Stanton on the verge of returning. Plus, with the way Spencer Jones has been raking in Double-A, there really is no reason to keep both young outfielders long term.”

Another Sports Illustrated analyst, Noah Strackbein, thinks the Yankees could use Pereira to acquire one or two bullpen arms.

“Expect the Yankees to look for bullpen answers, and while they don’t want to lose one of their best hitting prospects, they may be fine with it to make sure they’re ready for a postseason run,” wrote Strackbein.

What Marlins Pitchers Could the Yankees Be Interested In?

The Miami Marlins’ pitching staff ERA of 5.03 ranks 28th in MLB, but they have a few relief pitchers the New York Yankees could show interest in.

“Miami has pitching options like Anthony Bender and Ronny Henriquez that could interest New York, but in return, the Marlins could be looking at a particular prospect,” wrote Stackbein.

Bender is one of the more reliable arms out of the Marlins’ bullpen and has an earned run average of 2.54 in 28.1 innings this season. He missed the entirety of the 2023 season due to Tommy John Surgery, but is now healthy and does not reach free agency until 2028.

Henriquez is a hard-throwing righty averaging 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 33 innings with the Marlins in 2025. The Yankees could use the 24-year-old instead of righty Scott Effross, who had just three outings last season and is yet to record an appearance this year.

The Yankees’ bullpen is not necessarily a weak part of the roster, but they’ve received mixed performances from Devin Williams and Ian Hamilton. They may find it valuable to float Pereira’s name in trade talks to increase the depth of their pitching staff before the postseason.

Conor Liguori is a sports journalist covering the MLB for Heavy Sports. Conor has covered professional baseball leagues like the KBO, NPB, CPBL, and the LBPRC in Puerto Rico. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Connecticut State University. More about Conor Liguori