Good afternoon everyone, it’s time to dive back into the mailbag and answer some of your questions. Remember to send in your questions for our weekly call by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

The idiot that said, “Harper is coming” asks: Rather than focus on trade acquisition candidates, let’s focus on who might get traded away for a moment. Who in the Yankee organization do you believe will be most likely to be traded away at the trade deadline?

Let’s start with the prospects that carry value but probably will be sticking around. Spencer Jones’ security in the organization became a lot stronger after news broke that Aaron Judge would be going on the IL with a stress fracture in his ribs, and earlier today he was indeed called back up to the major leagues for what will likely be a lengthier stint than his first one. Carlos Lagrange is viewed as a potential stalwart in the Yankee rotation, but he’s also moving over to the bullpen to get a shot at contributing this year and thus likely is also safe, especially given the team’s need for relievers. Finally, George Lombard Jr. looks to be the future Yankees shortstop and could be ready as soon as next spring, with an outside shot of getting a look this year even. He’s the team’s top prospect overall and among the game’s best in any organization meaning he could carry a lot of weight as the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade, but it would take a monumental one to convince the Yankees to part with the promising infielder.

Elmer Rodríguez sits near the top of the organization’s pitching prospects with Lagrange, and he made his MLB debut earlier in the year after a meteoric rise following his trade acquisition from Boston. He’s a name that the Yankees would certainly also like to hold onto, but he also sits on the threshold of player that the Yankees might listen in on for the right deal. There are, however, some other pitching prospects with less of a pedigree and may not have a path to the majors laid out for them yet. Bryce Cunningham fits this bill, having been held back by a couple of injuries, and even though you can never have too much pitching I’m almost certain that New York will pull from their depth here to look for a good upgrade. Given the team’s needs, it makes more sense to me that the team will trade from their pool of players outside of the upper echelon to get relief arms or an upgrade to the bench, and Cunningham fits the bill for the type of player they’d be willing to gamble on.

BetweenthePinstripes asks: At the end of every season, there’s always a team (or three) that go on a tear, upending the standings and altering the playoff picture. What’s your best guess as to which team(s) will play their best baseball at the end?

I’m afraid that the main answer to this question will be the Astros, who sit in fourth place but have survived the big blows that the pitching staff took and have started to get their lineup in order even without Carlos Correa for the rest of the season. The AL West still looks to be a mess of a division, with the Mariners finally back in first place but clinging to a 2.5 game lead over the Rangers and Athletics. Houston is a couple ticks behind at 5.5 games behind, but being three games out of a postseason spot in the final Wild Card is nothing to scoff at all things considered. With Yordan Alvarez on an absolute heater at the plate, they could force the window of contention open a crack after missing the postseason last year.

Outside of the Astros, there’s another team in their division that could turn it on late in the year. The Mariners got off to an abysmal start offensively, but their push back to the top of the division was achieved by some of their regular stars finding their groove at long last. With a core of Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, and Randy Arozarena alongside the veteran assistance of Josh Naylor this is a team that should compete, and their rotation outside of Luis Castillo has been lights out on a near-daily basis. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see them make a run for not just the division title but a shot at hosting an ALDS or even an ALCS matchup, and they have the blueprint of what went right for them last year as the calendars turned towards fall to study from.

torturedsoulv1 asks: Will the Yankees playoff rotation be just Cole/Fried/Schittler. Or does Rodon get a start? I guess it depends on days off between games.

Days off are the essential factor, and given the turnaround for each round of play the Yankees would likely go with the main three for the Wild Card Round (assuming all of them stay locked in and healthy should they make it there). From the ALDS on it depends on what they can get away with, but Carlos Rodón has done more than enough to earn a bit of trust in a hypothetical Game 4. As for the overall order, that remains to be seen as well — Schlittler’s making a case for himself to be one of the best if not the best pitcher in the AL this year, which should give him the upper hand even over a pitcher as prolific as Gerrit Cole should winning be the biggest factor.