NEW YORK — The Yankees have reached the part of the season when every roster move carries October consequences.
They entered Sunday at 77-59 after splitting Saturday’s doubleheader with the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. New York answered a 6-0 loss in the opener with a 9-2 win in the nightcap, restoring a three-game cushion over Boston for the American League’s top wild-card spot. Ben Rice drove in three runs, Paul Blackburn earned the win, Brayan Bello took the loss, and the Yankees broke the game open with a five-run eighth.
The outfield, though, remains a moving target. Aaron Judge is still working back from a rib injury. Cody Bellinger recently returned from the injured list. Trent Grisham continues to handle center field, while Heliot Ramos and rookie Spencer Jones have absorbed important at-bats during Judge’s absence.
September also changes the roster math. Players must be in an organization before Sept. 1 to be eligible for the postseason, which turns late-August waiver decisions into more than depth exercises. An outright waiver claim requires the new club to assume the player’s remaining guaranteed money and place him on the 40-man roster.
For the Yankees, that means any addition has to solve a real October problem. New York already spent prospect capital at the trade deadline to acquire the right-handed-hitting Ramos, and it has continued to give Jones regular work. A late addition would need to bring something that the existing mix cannot.
The statistical gap is not obvious. Through Saturday, Bellinger carried a .759 OPS, Jones a .717 mark, Grisham a .714 mark, and Ramos a .681 mark. Judge is also expected back sometime in September, which could squeeze playing time even further. The next outfielder would have to be more than another name on the depth chart for a postseason race.
Yankees make one low-risk outfield bet
The Yankees made their low-risk move Saturday by signing Jarred Kelenic to a minor league contract and assigning him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Kelenic, 27, was the sixth overall pick by the Mets in the 2018 MLB Draft and later became one of baseball’s top outfield prospects after New York sent him to Seattle in the Robinson Cano-Edwin Diaz trade. He has hit .211 with a .654 OPS in 443 major league games. This season, he batted .219 with one homer and six RBIs in 36 games split between the White Sox and Rangers, but posted a 1.102 OPS in 37 games for Triple-A Round Rock.
The Yankees’ minor league deal adds experienced depth without forcing an immediate 40-man roster decision or significant salary commitment.
Luis Robert Jr. creates the opposite decision
The more complicated possibility emerged across town. The Mets placed Luis Robert Jr. on outright waivers, opening a 48-hour window for another club to claim the 29-year-old center fielder and assume the money left on his contract.
That financial hurdle is a little more than $5 million. Robert is owed about $3 million for the rest of 2026, and his contract carries a $20 million club option for 2027 with a $2 million buyout.
Through Saturday, Robert had a .715 OPS with 10 home runs and 23 RBIs. His August has been much better, with a .282/.338/.549 line, six homers, and 11 RBIs. That surge is the clearest argument for a contender betting on his bat now rather than his full-season production.
The counterweight is health. Robert missed nearly three months with a lumbar spine herniation and has played at least 100 games only three times since reaching the majors in 2020.
One split makes the Yankees fit less obvious
One split matters specifically to the Yankees. Baseball Savant shows Robert with a .218/.295/.436 line and a .731 OPS against left-handed pitching in 2026.
That is important because the Yankees specifically targeted a right-handed outfielder at the trade deadline and acquired Ramos. Robert bats right-handed, runs well, and can defend center field, but his production against lefties does not make him an automatic answer to a matchup problem that has followed New York.
For the Yankees, Robert still brings useful October tools. He ranks in the 90th percentile in sprint speed and has one out above average in the outfield this season. His 2023 peak also remains significant: 38 home runs, 20 steals, and an .857 OPS.
The current comparison is tighter. Robert’s .715 OPS is virtually even with Grisham’s .714 and Jones’ .717. Bellinger has been better at .759. A Yankees claim would therefore be a bet on Robert’s August surge, defensive value, and upside more than a clear statistical upgrade.
Waiver order may decide before Yankees do
Even if the Yankees decide that upside is worth more than $5 million, they do not control the outcome. MLB’s outright waiver rules award the player to the claiming club with the lowest winning percentage when multiple teams submit claims.
At 77-59 entering Sunday, the Yankees would sit behind every claiming team with a worse record. A claim could be submitted and still never reach New York.
Robert would also require a 40-man roster spot, unlike Kelenic. If Judge returns in September as expected, Aaron Boone could have Bellinger, Grisham, Ramos, Jones, Judge, and potentially Robert competing for outfield and designated-hitter at-bats.
Kelenic is a depth bet with little immediate downside. Robert is a far more expensive attempt to buy one month of upside and postseason insurance. The Yankees have already added one former Mets first-rounder. The remaining question is whether Robert offers enough separation to justify the bigger late-August gamble. What do you think? Leave your comment below.
