The New York Yankees appear to be on the cusp of an underwhelming offseason. Owner Hal Steinbrenner has been adamant about lowering the team payroll below $300 million. And it appears he plans to do just that this coming season. This pushes marquee free agents like Kyle Tucker out of range and even puts re-signing Cody Bellinger into question.
Steinbrenner’s frugal approach may be taking the Yankees’ search for talent away from the top tier and toward the budget bin. However, this doesn’t take inexpensive trade candidates off the table, providing it doesn’t tax the roster or the farm system too much. With this in mind, here are three potential trade chips who can bring the most bang for Steinbrenner’s buck if the team is willing to part with them.
OF Jasson Dominguez
Dominguez presents sky-high potential, but he has been somewhat problematic for the Yankees. The Martian posted a .257/.331/.388 slash line with 10 home runs in 2025. However, his offense isn’t the concern.
Dominguez has struggled defensively in left field. Because of this, he was limited to 429 plate appearances in the regular season and only one in the postseason. The Yankees would likely be hesitant to give him up — and not without reason. Still, New York has no room for defensive liabilities. And Spencer Jones, who will find his way onto the roster next season, will check more boxes for the Yankees since he can play centerfield capably.
At a rate of $820,000 next season, trading Dominguez wouldn’t count as a salary dump. However, with years of control and a high ceiling, dangling him could bring the Yankees what they want in a trade.
RHP Clarke Schmidt
When healthy, Schmidt has proved to be a solid, middle-of-the-rotation arm. Over the past two seasons, Schmidt was limited to 30 starts; however, in that time, he pitched to a 3.07 ERA.
In July, Schmidt underwent Tommy John surgery for the second time. He is expected to return in the second half of 2026. For any team interested in Schmidt, it will likely be enticed by the remaining years on his contract since he is under team control through 2028.
For the Yankees, trading Schmidt would allow them to move forward with other options. New York should eye starting pitching on the free-agent market and has righties Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange waiting in the wings. Schmidt is owed $5 million next season, and while it’s not much by baseball standards, it will help the Yankees in their free-agency pursuits.
RHP Bryce Cunningham
Trading a minor leaguer doesn’t qualify as a salary dump, but there are quite a few doors the Yankees’ No. 5 prospect might unlock. Unlike Rodriguez and Lagrange, Cunningham is over a year away from his debut. This makes him more dispensable since the Yankees, who will enter the season down three starters (Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Schmidt all underwent surgery), need pitching by Opening Day.
Cunningham delivered an exceptional performance in his debut year, posting a 2.82 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 54.1 innings pitched in High-A. He boasts an arsenal of only three pitches (fastball, slider and changeup), but each offering carries plenty of potential and are all rated as plus. In the right package, Cunningham could easily net the Yankees a productive player.
