3 team needs for the Yankees leading up to the trade deadline
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New York Yankees co-owner Hal Steinbrenner's goal in each of the past two seasons has been to get the club's payroll under the luxury-tax threshold - but only if it didn't prevent him from fielding a championship-caliber team.
The Yankees then went out and committed $470 million to seven players this past winter.
New York's half-a-billion dollar investment earned the club a 47-47 record at the All-Star break, five games back of the division-leading Baltimore Orioles and 3 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot.
Injuries and existing roster holes have left the Yankees in need of help at the plate and on the mound. Here are three areas the team could stand to improve ahead of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.
1. Starting pitching
The Yankees need more than just any starting pitcher - they have a glaring hole at the top of the rotation. But the team doesn't have the assets to acquire David Price or Cole Hamels, so general manager Brian Cashman may have to settle for a warm body.
The Yankees rank eighth in the AL in starter ERA (4.01) and with four-fifths of their Opening Day staff on the disabled list, the team could be forced to turn to its biggest trade chip: money.
Expect Cashman to check on Philadelphia Phillies lefty Cliff Lee and the $50 million-plus owed to him, in addition to secondary options like A.J. Burnett and Ian Kennedy.
Related: 3 potential trade suitors for Cliff Lee
2. Third baseman
You know who the Yankees could really use right about now? Alex Rodriguez.
With A-Rod serving a season-long suspension, the club has relied on a combination of Yangervis Solarte, Kelly Johnson and Zelous Wheeler to man the hot corner.
Here's how that's working out: .241/.319/.391 with an AL-East worst 1.7 fWAR.
The Yankees would be wise to kick the tires on infielder Martin Prado and switch-hitting third baseman Chase Headley.
3. Right-handed outfield power bat
After releasing the struggling Alfonso Soriano, the Yankees find themselves extremely thin from the right side of the plate - especially in an outfield that features three left-handed bats devoid of power.
Free-agent acquisition Carlos Beltran was supposed to help supplement the loss of Robinson Cano's power, but the 37-year-old missed a third of the club's first-half games with various injuries.
The Yankees rank 20th in team slugging and 22nd in runs, so expect them to target a power-hitting bat that relegates Ichiro Suzuki back into a full-time platoon role.
It's worth noting that the Yankees are not listed among Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Marlon Byrd's four-team no-trade list.