The Yankees have felt like a rollercoaster ride throughout the first third of the 2026 MLB season. For every peak (Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice's breakouts), there has been a valley or two (Ryan McMahon's regression, the bullpen needing help), which has made for a lot of whiplash so far. Fortunately, the Yankees' positive moments are outweighing the negative ones, as they remain in contention for the top spot in the American League. Although things are trending in the right direction at the moment, the Yankees can't be satisfied with the status quo. General manager Brian Cashman still needs to address a handful of issues if he wants to go all the way to the World Series, with catcher, third base and relief pitching being among the top priorities. It's been a month since our last trade board update, and with June around the corner, it's time to see where things stand again. Here's a look at the Yankees' top-10 trade targets heading into next month, as well as five of their best trade pieces they could consider moving. Yankees' top 10 trade targets1. Isaac Paredes, IF/DH, Astros (No. 1 last update) Isaac Paredes could seriously help the Yankees with their World Series aspirations. | David Banks-Imagn ImagesA two-time MLB All-Star, Isaac Paredes was the No. 1 trade target on last month's big board, and that hasn't changed. The Astros are showing no signs of getting back above .500 anytime soon, and with the August trade deadline quickly approaching, they have every reason to listen to potential offers for Paredes's services. This hasn't been the 27-year-old infielder's best season, but he's still slashing .240/.332/.366 with five home runs, 20 RBIs, 18 walks and a 0.9 WAR while playing with one of the AL's worst clubs. It isn't unfathomable to imagine how joining the Yankees, who are hungry to make some postseason noise, could motivate Paredes to improve those numbers. New York needs to upgrade its third base situation, as McMahon isn't the answer. Paredes isn't the most defensively sound 3B, but he'd still be an improvement over McMahon at the hot corner, making a trade worth exploring for the Yankees—especially if the Astros' free-fall continues. 2. Pete Fairbanks, RHP, Marlins (N/A)Like the Astros, the Marlins are destined to be deadline sellers as they continue to play sub-.500 baseball. That trend, if it continues, would be music to the Yankees' ears, as they continue to search for bullpen upgrades, with veteran righty Pete Fairbanks standing out as a potential trade target. The Yankees are more than familiar with Fairbanks, who operated as the Rays' primary closer from 2023 to 2025. The Milwaukee, WI native amassed 75 saves with 171 strikeouts and a 2.98 ERA across 151 innings during that stretch. Despite that performance, the Rays declined his player option in November, leading him to sign a one-year contract with the Marlins about a week later. As with most Marlins players, Fairbanks has experienced a forgettable 2026 season, going 2-2 with an abysmal 7.62 ERA and only six saves in 14 appearances (1 start). Still, the underwhelming performance could stem from the poor vibes in Miami this season. Fairbanks's ballooned numbers could also help the Yankees buy low on him, as there's plenty of reason to believe in a turnaround (2.25 ERA with seven strikeouts in his last four appearances). 3. Riley O'Brien, RHP, Cardinals (N/A)Riley O'Brien could be the piece that helps the Yankees' bullpen get back on track. | Jeff Curry-Imagn ImagesIf the Yankees want to consider bringing in another closer to replace David Bednar, Riley O'Brien might be the perfect man for the job. Yes, the Cardinals are exceeding expectations and could challenge for a National League playoff berth; however, they might also be open to selling off someone like O'Brien if it means striking while the iron is hot. O'Brien established himself as one of the Cardinals' top relievers last season, pitching to a 2.06 ERA with 45 strikeouts and six saves in 42 appearances. Although his numbers aren't at that exact level in 2026, he's still looking great with a 2.96 ERA and 13 saves in 24 outings so far. He's also sitting at a career-best 0.986 WHIP, and that's without mentioning that he's averaging more strikeouts per nine innings (10.0) than he did last year (8.4). O'Brien is under team control through 2028, so the Yankees might have to part ways with one of their better prospects to land him. That would be a sacrifice worth making if O'Brien can have the same impact in New York as he did in St. Louis's bullpen. 4. Christian Vazquez, C, Astros (N/A)The Yankees will likely look for a right-handed catcher to replace either Austin Wells or J.C. Escarra before the trade deadline. Circling back to the Astros, Christian Vázquez and his experience certainly stand out. The former Red Sox backstop has played well despite splitting time with Yainer Diaz behind home plate, notching four HRs, 17 RBIs, nine walks and a .257/.318/.416 slash line across 34 games (101 at-bats). Even if it wouldn't be easy to maintain that production full-time, it still puts Vázquez on pace for a 19-HR, 81-RBI performance during a 162-game season. Not bad for an aging catcher who's about to turn 36 years old in August. 🚨Christian Vázquez HR🚨@ASTROS I #ChaseTheFight #Astros vs Red Sox on SCHN & SCHN+ pic.twitter.com/6Nh3Szru9E— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) April 1, 2026Trading for Vázquez won't guarantee a World Series win, but he's still a clear-cut upgrade over the Yankees' current catchers. New York wouldn't even have to break the bank to acquire him, as he's in rental territory and will become an unrestricted free agent this winter. 5. Daniel Lynch IV, LHP, Royals (No. 2)The Yankees need all of the bullpen they can get, which is why they should still be keeping tabs on the Royals' Daniel Lynch IV. The 29-year-old southpaw has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise forgettable Royals season. Lynch has pitched to a 1.59 ERA through his first 22 relief appearances (22 2/3 innings), striking out 27 batters while only walking seven. He's holding opposing batters to an absurd .159/.242/.244 slash line, as well as an OPS (.486) that is noticeable below the MLB average (.719). Yankees fans would love to see Lynch in the bullpen, using his dynamic slider and knuckle curve that have whiff rates of 51.0% and 71.4%, respectively, according to Baseball Savant. It's the type of arsenal that will keep opponents honest while setting the stage for New York's closer, whether that's Bednar or someone else. Lynch will be a popular trade target if he's made available before the deadline, meaning the Yankees should do everything in their power to beat others to the punch. More targets to watch:6 (No. 3). Adrián Morejón, LHP, Padres (4-1, 4.28 ERA and 33 Ks in 24 games)7 (No. 7). Willi Castro, Utility, Rockies (two HRs, 17 RBIs, .264/.325/.358 in 23 games)8 (N/A). Bryan Abreu, RHP, Astros (2-2, 6.88 ERA and 21 Ks in 19 games)9 (No. 9). Ryan Jeffers, C, Twins (seven HRs, 26 RBIs, .295/.408/.541 in 37 games)10 (N/A). Hunter Goodman, C, Rockies (12 HRs, 20 RBIs, .242/.301/.474 in 50 games)Five most likely Yankees to be traded1. Spencer Jones, OF (No. 2 last update) Spencer Jones might be the Yankees' top trade chip at the moment. | Benny Sieu-Imagn ImagesThe Yankees finally gave Spencer Jones a crack in the big leagues in May; however, the experiment left much to be desired. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound slugger's strikeout struggles were on full display as he struck out on 44.4% of his opportunities (MLB average is 22.1%) while only mustering four singles and a pair of RBIs in 24 at-bats before returning to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last week. Jones still has potential to be a big hitter in the majors, but his brief run with the Yankees could leave them more open to including him in a blockbuster deal. He didn't homer during his MLB call-up, but he still has 47 HRs in 150 minor-league outings since the start of 2025, which might be more than enough to have potential suitors believing that they can develop Jones better than the Yankees. It'd be a shame to see Jones become the next Aaron Judge elsewhere, but there's also a chance that he'll never reach the sky-high expectations that the fan base has set. That's why the Yankees should be open to trading Jones if it means bringing in an impact player who can help the club win it all this fall, leaving the 25-year-old's development and strikeout woes to be another team's problem. 2. Carlos Lagrange, RHP (No. 1)The No. 4 prospect in the Yankees' system at the moment, Carlos Lagrange is another young gun who could be sacrificed in the name of going all in this season. The 2026 season has been a mixed bag for Lagrange, who's still searching for his first win as he sits at a 4.78 ERA through 10 starts. It hasn't been all bad, as he's struck out 57 batters with only 37 hits allowed across 43 1/3 innings, indicating that the best might be yet to come after turning 23 years old earlier this week. — MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 18, 2026Lagrange has the tools to be a key pitcher one day, but he might have to play elsewhere to realize that potential. The Yankees' starting rotation has no room now that Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón are back, with both veterans signed until the end of 2028. Meanwhile, Max Fried (2032), Cam Schlittler (2032), Will Warren (2031) and Ryan Weathers (2030) won't be free agents anytime soon. In other words, the Yankees might be better off using Lagrange's potential in a trade rather than wasting it in a pitching logjam. 3. Ben Hess, RHP (No. 3)Ben Hess is another pitching prospect who could be a victim of the Yankees' impressive depth. The 23-year-old righty has stood out for the right reasons with Double-A Somerset, going 1-0 with a 3.55 ERA through his first. He's racked up a whopping 23 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings, which translates to 16.3 Ks per nine, which is even higher than what he averaged at the University of Alabama (13.3). Hess isn't a generational prospect, but he's on the trajectory to be a decent end-of-the-rotation starter. That might not mean much to the Yankees, but the opposite could be true for another team desperate for pitching prospects. He won't turn 24 years old for another three months or so, giving him more than enough time to carve out a meaningful future elsewhere. 4. Ryan McMahon, 3B (N/A)Ryan McMahon's frustrating performance could result in a trade out of New York. | Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesIf the Yankees want to upgrade Ryan McMahon's spot in the lineup, any sort of change could involve the veteran infielder being booted out of the Big Apple. After all, McMahon is giving the Yankees every reason to get him off the team. Offensively, he's slashing .190/.255/.307 with four HRs, 16 RBIs and a 31.3% strikeout rate in 50 games. Defensively, he's already up to four errors, which is the same number he had with the Yankees last season, despite playing 91 1/3 fewer innings in 2026. He also ranks a mediocre 17th when it comes to outs above average, according to Baseball Savant. With McMahon under contract for another $16 million next season, no one would blame the Yankees if they turned over every stone to find a way to end this experiment. They might not get the best return for him, but simply getting him off the roster is a big enough win, as he clearly isn't contributing positively, whether as a starter or off the bench. Besides, since the Yankees were fooled into trading for McMahon last season, who's to say another team won't make the same mistake? 5. Brendan Beck, RHP (N/A)After dealing with arm-related injuries early in his professional career, Brendan Beck has been a consistent presence throughout the last two seasons. The La Jolla, CA native went 13-5 with a 3.36 ERA across 26 games (24 starts) between Double-A and Triple-A last season, landing him in the RailRiders' starting rotation for the 2026 campaign. Beck hasn't been as successful this year, tallying a 3-2 record with a 4.42 ERA in 10 appearances. At the same time, what he's done was good enough to warrant an MLB call-up earlier this month, which saw him pitch three innings and allow two earned runs in a 9-2 win over the Rangers on May 7. Even though he wasn't credited with the win, Beck returned to Scranton with newfound confidence, allowing only five earned runs with 17 strikeouts across 16 innings in the following three starts. Potential trade partners might be impressed by how well Beck has looked since his MLB debut and may hope that it can translate to professional success. The fact that he's older (27) might also interest teams, as he might be closer to being big-league ready than his younger counterparts, giving the Yankees even more reason to dangle him in trade talks. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow