Key Takeaways
- New York Yankees legend CC Sabathia wants to see his former team get aggressive at the MLB trade deadline.
- The 2025 Hall of Famer discussed what the Bronx Bombers need to improve their roster.
- Sabathia also spoke about the Los Angeles Dodgers' chances of repeating and their biggest threats to winning another World Series.
Aaron Judge with Aaron Boone (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee finished his 19-year MLB career with 251 wins, becoming the first player to debut in the 21st century to reach the 250-win mark. He also captured MLB's ultimate prize, winning the World Series in 2009 during his first season with the Yankees.
The 44-year-old lived up to the hype after signing the largest contract for a pitcher in MLB history before the 2009 season — seven years, $161 million — leading the league in victories in back-to-back seasons in 2009 and 2010.
Yankees Must Act Fast
The current Yankees still have work to do before they can claim championship status. If the season ended today, New York would make the playoffs as a wild card. However, entering Monday’s slate of games, they hold only a 3.5-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays — who are just outside the postseason picture.
Sabathia says that as the trade deadline approaches, the Yankees need a third baseman and bullpen help. New York currently trails the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East after leading the division for much of the season until early July.
The former AL Cy Young Award winner expects the Yankees to be aggressive.
"I think they will always be active at the trade deadline," Sabathia told RG in a one-on-one interview. "(They need a) third baseman. We'll see how that goes. It's hard to trade when people know what you need, right? Because you kind of lose leverage. So Yankees GM (Brian) Cashman is a master at that — trying to figure out how to get what he needs without giving up too much. We'll wait and see what happens."
Sabathia also noted the Yankees could use another starter, with ace Gerrit Cole out for the season and Luis Gil nearing a return after starting the season on the 60-day injured list.
New York currently ranks 14th in runs allowed per game, a slight drop from ninth place last season.
"I think they need a third baseman, a couple more bullpen arms and maybe a starter. They’ll be fine," Sabathia said.
Asked again if he believes the Yankees will be aggressive at the deadline, Sabathia — who played 11 seasons in New York under Cashman — replied, "Oh yeah, I think so."
Dodgers Remain a Threat Despite Injuries
As for the defending champions from the other league, the Los Angeles Dodgers are in control. The reigning World Series winners are 58-40 with the second-best record in the National League, despite battling multiple injuries throughout the season, including to starting pitcher Blake Snell and third baseman Max Muncy.
Despite ranking 23rd in runs allowed per game, the Dodgers remain among MLB’s top contenders. When discussing the biggest threat to Los Angeles, Sabathia believes the challenge will come from within their own league.
"I think the top teams are in the National League," he said. "I think there’s a number of teams that can sneak up on the Dodgers if they're not careful. I think the Cubs are really good. I think the Phillies are really good. The Mets, if they can get their starting pitching to extend, they can be really good."
Still, Sabathia warns that a healthy Dodgers team will be tough to beat.
"The Dodgers have so many injuries, but if they can get healthy by August or the beginning of September with all the pitching they have — they’ve got Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei (Ohtani) is coming back — and in the bullpen, they have Kirby Yates, Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen. If they're healthy, they're going to be very, very hard to beat. But I do think there are a number of teams in the National League that can give them a run."
