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Yankees manager Aaron Boone laid out the plan for both Jose Caballero's rehab and Anthony Volpe's new opportunity.

The New York Yankees are enduring their first ‘semi-rough’ stretch this season. They’ve lost back-to-back series, and now sit a couple of games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the American League East. The Yanks are currently taking on their cross-town rival, the Mets.

It’s still early to start thinking about MLB trade ideas, but the Yankees continue to be floated around as a team that will likely address their bullpen. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller recently urged New York to target bullpen help:

“The bullpen, however, has been a bit messier, specifically two of the relievers the Yankees traded for last summer, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird. David Bednar has been solid enough at closer, but they would greatly benefit from a “set-up man who can close on occasion,” like the good old days of Dellin Betances passing the baton to Andrew Miller and/or Aroldis Chapman.”

It begs the question of who the Yankees could target if they do make a notable trade, and Kansas City Royals reliever Matt Strahm has also surfaced as a possibility.

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Yankees Trade Prediction Lands Royals Reliever Matt Strahm

In a piggyback to what Miller wrote, SI.com’s Devon Platana named Matt Strahm as a potential trade target for the Yankees:

“Strahm is an 11-year MLB veteran with 409 games and 531 innings under his belt. He isn’t pitching as well as he did during his 2023 All-Star campaign; however, he’s still been more than serviceable for the Royals this season. In 14 outings (13 2/3 innings), Strahm has struck out 14 batters while allowing 10 hits. He’s also limiting opponents to a .666 OPS—the fifth straight year that he’s allowed that number or lower.”

The one issue with Matt Strahm is that since Platana named him as a trade candidate for the Yankees, he’s since been placed on the 15-day injured list with knee inflammation. He’s a high-volume reliever who can be used in multiple different roles.

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Matt Strahm as an MLB Reliever

GettyLOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 9, 2025: Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm retired the Dodgers hitters in order in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium on October 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)Royals

Matt Strahm was named to the MLB All-Star team with the Phillies in 2024 after a very strong campaign. In 66.1 innings in ’24, he posted an ERA of 1.87.

Before joining the Royals, Strahm had spent time with the Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres, primarily as a reliever.

It would be wise for New York to at least check in on what it would cost to acquire Matt Strahm.

The Royals, who aren’t having the best season, may want to sell off some of their assets, and the Yankees have a good amount to offer.

The one thing about Matt Strahm is that he’s a clear free agent to be after season’s end, so he could purely be a rental addition, which would drive the asking price down.

New York is one of the main teams to watch for when it comes to the MLB trade deadline and the status of several different relievers across MLB.

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