Will these “urgent” Yankees be early to the trade block?

May 17, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher David Bednar (53) delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Let’s dial back to Sunday. With the caveat that I’m surprised Sean Manaea is still on an MLB roster, Aaron Boone hit all the right buttons.

Pinch-hitter Paul Goldschmidt gets dotted to load the bases with one out, Max Schuemann comes into run for him. Anthony Volpe has his big two-run single, and Boone goes to his bench one more time, eschewing J. C.

Escarra in favor of Amed Rosario. Rosario gets a ball in the air, Schuemann scampers home, and the Yankees have their third run of the frame. Not a bad bit of managing from Aaron Boone, and more importantly, highlights this reported sense of “urgency” the team seems to be running with.

From in-game snap decisions to broader choices like optioning Volpe to Triple-A, cutting Randal Grichuk, sending down Luis Gil, this does feel like a Yankee team that’s less interested in waiting out the first half of the season than most years. Of course the great irony is that while Boone made all those good moves in the top of the sixth, the Yankees actually lost that game because the bullpen collectively allowed six runs across five remaining innings. And that’s the circle that we’re here to square today.