PHILADELPHIA — The New York Yankees, unquestionably, will be buyers at this year’s trade deadline.

“I know we want to try and improve our club,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday, before an 11-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. “I know the front office is grinding away at that, so I know we’re going to try. You never know what’s going to be out there. It always takes a couple teams to tango.”

The Yankees could use an upgrade at catcher, at least one more high-leverage reliever, and at least one more bat, in light of the injuries to Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger.

As the team enters the final week before the Aug. 3 deadline, let’s consider potential options to fill those needs. After proposing five hypothetical Yankees trades, we asked former general manager Jim Bowden to weigh in on them and determine which club would say no.

Yankees get: RP Mason Miller

Padres get: SP Will Warren, OF Jasson Domínguez, SS Dax Kilby, SP Ben Hess

Miller is one of MLB’s elite game-changing players. When on the mound, he’s as close as a pitcher can get to being an automatic three outs.

Miller is under contract through 2029, and there’s no guarantee San Diego Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller will trade him at the deadline. He might have to be blown away by a package to consider moving Miller.

In this proposal, the Padres would receive two major leaguers, Warren and Domínguez, and two prospects. Warren has the potential to be a mid-rotation starter, while Domínguez has not yet lived up to his prospect hype. Kilby is one of the Yankees’ best infield prospects, while Hess projects as a back-end starter with big strikeout numbers. — Kirschner

Bowden: The Padres say no.

I believe the Padres would reject this trade offer even though it’s a solid proposal with four quality players in the return. Warren could go right into the Padres’ rotation and Hess could be a fifth starter in a couple of years, while Domínguez and Kilby have potential of being, at a minimum, quality everyday players.

Kilby has perhaps the highest upside of this foursome. His inclusion in the deal makes it a strong, compelling offer worthy of serious consideration by San Diego. However, if I’m the Padres, I would counter by asking for shortstop George Lombard Jr. and right-hander Carlos Lagrange (pending medical reports).

The Padres traded Leo De Vries, one of the top prospects in baseball, to land Miller last year from the Athletics, and although Lombard profiles as a potential future star, he’s not quite at the level of De Vries. Lagrange, when healthy, has the ceiling of Miller, but it’s far from certain he’ll ever get there. I would try to get both for a proven impact player such as Miller who is under club control for three-plus years. — Bowden

Yankees get: RP Adrián Morejón

Padres get: SP Elmer Rodríguez, SP Bryce Cunningham

We’ll stick with San Diego for a second. The Padres’ rotation has been a mess this season, ranking bottom five in fWAR and ERA. They need as much starting pitching as possible.

Rodríguez likely projects as a back-end starter in the majors, while Cunningham is a 23-year-old with a 4.63 ERA this season in High A. Rodríguez has made four spot starts for the Yankees but hasn’t looked impressive because his command wasn’t crisp. That deviates from what he’s known for. If his command is on, he can have success in the big leagues.

The addition of Morejón, an impending free agent, would give the Yankees a formidable back end of the bullpen with David Bednar closing games, Morejón as the eighth-inning reliever and Brent Headrick and Fernando Cruz deployable in fireman roles. — Kirschner

Bowden: Both teams say yes.

The Yankees’ bullpen has been solid, but adding Morejón would make it more dominant and boost the team’s postseason outlook and potential matchups, making its pen much deeper and stronger for a playoff run.

The Padres need to rebuild their rotation, and acquiring two future back-of-the-rotation starters, each with six years of club control, for Morejón, a two-month rental, should be a no-brainer, even though San Diego is still in the National League wild-card race. — Bowden

Yankees get: SS CJ Abrams

Nationals get: SP Will Warren, SP Elmer Rodríguez, SP Chase Hampton

The Washington Nationals have already traded Curtis Mead to the Boston Red Sox for left-hander Connelly Early. Still, they desperately need more pitching.

This proposed move would give the Nats a ready-made starter (Warren) plus someone who would likely slot into their rotation now (Rodríguez). Hampton was a former top-10 prospect for the Yankees, but he underwent Tommy John surgery last year and has struggled in his first season back. Washington would hope to revitalize Hampton as he gets further removed from surgery.

The Yankees, meanwhile, desperately need more offense. They have a bottom-five offense since Judge landed on the injured list in early June, and now Bellinger will miss time with a hamstring strain. Abrams, who is under contract through 2029, could play third base this season and move to second base next year. Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. will be a free agent after this season, and Abrams could be an excellent replacement if the Yankees don’t re-sign Chisholm. — Kirschner

Bowden: The Nationals say no.

Abrams is having another banner season, hitting .297 with 27 homers, 17 steals and an MLB-leading 82 RBIs. He’s been worth 4.3 WAR, according to Baseball Reference. However, the Nationals haven’t been able to extend him long-term, so they will at least listen to trade offers.

That said, for the Yankees to get in on a deal for Abrams, they would have to start the conversation by offering Lombard, then adding Warren. That is probably along the lines of what it would take for Washington to even consider trading the two-time All-Star to the Bronx. — Bowden

Yankees get: C Ryan Jeffers

Twins get: SS Anthony Volpe, RP Camilo Doval

Ryan Jeffers would give the Yankees more consistent offense from the catcher position. (Jason Miller / Getty Images)

Yankees catcher Austin Wells has swung the bat better over the past two weeks, but the club remains in the market for an offensive upgrade.

Jeffers is the most logical catching target for the Yankees because of his relationship with Tanner Swanson, the club’s director of catching. Swanson was a key figure in the Minnesota Twins’ decision to draft Jeffers in 2018. Jeffers will be a free agent after this season, so this move would also give the Yankees a stretch run to determine if he could also be a longer-term fit.

In return, the Twins would get two change-of-scenery candidates in Volpe and Doval. It appears Volpe’s time with the Yankees might be running out, with the imminent promotion of Lombard, and Doval has been reduced to a low-leverage role in the bullpen. Doval, an All-Star in 2023, is under club control through next year, so maybe the Twins could revive him. — Kirschner

Bowden: Both sides say yes.

The Yankees need more offense, especially from the right side of the plate, and Jeffers would be a perfect fit for them. After missing about two months with a hamate bone fracture, he’s healthy and has posted a .930 OPS this season, with nine homers in 157 at-bats.

Volpe, 25, needs a change of scenery, and with more than two years of remaining club control, it’s a risk worth taking for the Twins, especially considering Jeffers is an impending free agent. From the Yankees’ standpoint, Lombard is ready for a promotion to replace Volpe, and they would still have José Caballero as an option at shortstop.

In addition, the Twins have identified relievers as their biggest need at the trade deadline, so taking a chance on Doval makes a lot of sense for them, as he might have a better chance to excel in a smaller market. Bottom line: I think this trade, conceptually, works for both sides. — Bowden

Yankees get: OF Lane Thomas

Royals get: OF Jace Avina, RHP Eric Reyzelman

The Yankees made a similar move at last season’s trade deadline when they acquired Austin Slater from the Chicago White Sox. Like Slater, Thomas is a platoon bat who hits left-handed pitching well. The Yankees could use a righty-hitting outfielder off their bench. Thomas will be a free agent after this season, so the price to land him should not be too steep.

Avina and Reyzelman are ranked as the club’s 20th and 28th top prospects, respectively, by MLB Pipeline. They are Rule 5 draft-eligible after this season, and neither player likely has a path to making the Yankees’ 40-man roster. — Kirschner

Bowden: Both sides say yes.

I really like this trade for the Yankees because Thomas rakes against left-handed pitching (career OPS against them: .850) and can play all three outfield positions. He is a fourth outfielder and platoon-type, making him a good fit on this team.

This would be an overpay for the Yankees; I think Avina straight-up would be a fair deal. However, it’s a sellers’ market, so teams will have to overpay at this deadline, and getting Reyzelman included makes it easy for the Royals to close the deal. — Bowden

“A bronze medal for England’s Adam Ramsay-Peaty.”

That announcement was made twice at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, once in Saturday’s 100m breaststroke final, and again in last night’s 50m race, and it sounded out of place.

Partly this was down to the colour of the medals: bronze would represent a stellar achievement for most athletes, but for Ramsay-Peaty — who has won 51 medals at major events in his career, with only 19 not being gold — it will not engender any fondness. All the more so as the Commonwealths, a quadrennial event in which competing nations are drawn solely from member states of the Commonwealth of Nations and their territories, rank far below the Olympics and World Championships.

But there was something else strange about the announcement in Glasgow’s Tollcross swimming pool: the name ‘Ramsay-Peaty’ itself.

When he was known as Adam Peaty, the Englishman staked a claim to be arguably the greatest swimmer his country has ever produced and probably the best breaststroker in history, regardless of nationality.

He won back-to-back Olympic gold medals for Team GB in the 100m breaststroke at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, the highlights of a dominant career which saw him break 14 world records, two of which are still standing — the 50m and 100m breaststroke.

But the last few years have not been straightforward. He took a six-month mental health break in 2023 before having to settle for silver at Paris 2024 in the 100m. More recently he has been at the centre of a very public, and very personal, family drama which has made him the fodder of celebrity gossip columns.

In August 2022, Ramsay-Peaty announced his separation from Welsh artist Eirianedd Munro, the mother of his son, George. Just over two years later, he revealed his engagement to Holly Ramsay, the influencer, model and second daughter of television personality and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.

The couple, who are awaiting the arrival of their first child together, were married in December 2025, with Adam and Holly adopting the double-barrelled surname.

Gordon Ramsay and daughter Holly arrive for her wedding to Adam Peaty in 2025 (Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)

An Olympic legend marrying the daughter of one of television’s most recognisable figures was always bound to make headlines, but there was an added twist in the form of widely reported tensions between the two families.

The wedding was attended by former footballer David Beckham and his ex-pop star wife Victoria, but while Gordon walked Holly, 26, down the aisle, Adam’s parents and much of his extended family were reportedly not in attendance. The source of the alleged aggravation stemmed, according to The Sun, from Ramsay-Peaty’s mother, Caroline, not being invited to Holly’s hen party and then blew up into a media storm with claims and counter-claims being made by the two clans, often via family ‘friends’ in the media.

“It’s just upsetting,” Gordon told the Daily Mail in February, when asked about the rift. “It’s all self-inflicted from their side, because we’ve done nothing — none of what you’ve read: no rudeness, no ignorance — we welcomed them. So to get that barrage of press was very hurtful.”

Ramsay-Peaty has remained silent on the affair, but told BBC Sport after his race on Monday that being known as ‘Ramsay-Peaty’ showed his “evolution as a man”.

“I came in (to the sport) as a young boy with no responsibilities, all I cared about was my car,” he added. “Now, I am an older man, married, with one kid and another on the way. Not even comparable to where I am now.”

He had previously spoken in glowing terms about his new in-laws, telling The Times in 2024 that he was inspired by Gordon Ramsay’s sporting and professional achievements (Gordon, 59, played briefly for Scottish football giants Rangers and more recently has competed in Ironman Triathlons and Ultramarathons).

“Gordon is a high performer,” Ramsay-Peaty said. “He has worked his way up to the upper echelons of his industry… I take a lot from the professionalism he has every single day with relentless pursuit.”

Adam Peaty, Holly Ramsay and Gordon Ramsay at F1 track Silverstone in 2023 (Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

His surname may have changed and so, too, has Ramsay-Peaty’s outlook on swimming.

In March 2023 he announced his withdrawal from the British Swimming Championships, saying he was “tired” and “not enjoying the sport as I have done for the last decade” in a statement on X. “This sport has given me everything and I am looking forward to finding the love I have for it again,” he added.

In May that year, he revealed to BBC Sport that gold medals would not “fix all of your problems”, speaking of battling with depression and alcohol, along with fracturing his fifth metatarsal in his right foot, in 2022.

After Saturday’s bronze in the 100m, Ramsay-Peaty told reporters about “all the s*** I have been through”, to return to the pool in Glasgow and push for a place at the L.A. Olympics in 2028. He cited early starts, missing family gatherings and the abuse he and his family have been subjected to on social media. “It’s been the hardest climb I’ve ever faced and the hardest test,” he said.

He could not hide his emotion when talking about his frustrations at missing out on gold to Australia’s Sam Williamson, as he was greeted by Holly afterwards.

“It’s like getting knocked out in the group stages in the World Cup for a very good team,” he told reporters. “You know you’re better and it hurts because you know you have to wait for a very long time for the next championships.”

Peaty poses with his 100m breaststroke gold medal at Tokyo 2020 (Al Bello/Getty Images)

Ramsay-Peaty will now set his sights on Los Angeles, where the 50m breaststroke will make its debut, giving the swimmer, who will then be 33, a more realistic chance of another gold. Yet events over the last few days in Glasgow have done little to stoke optimism: instead, he was to reflect how “nothing made sense” and that he was “working way too hard”.

The physical toll is no surprise. Ramsay-Peaty’s career at the pinnacle of swimming is entering its 11th year, after breaking through in 2014 aged 19. It is rare for swimmers to remain dominant in their field for such a long period.

The name may read differently, but the ambition remains familiar, and Ramsay-Peaty’s latest chapter will be measured against the same standard that has defined his career to date: winning.

There is no belt for it, there is no ringside judge who can declare the winner and not even the sanctioning bodies can recognise it.

Yet few accolades in boxing trigger more serious debate who is the pound-for-pound No 1.

Whether on social media, in the crowds at the big fights, or in bars and pubs the world over, the discussion over who is the best in boxing when weight does not matter is often the biggest topic of conversation.

But who do boxing insiders rate most highly?

The Athletic has canvassed the opinion of 25 stakeholders in the sport to get their top 10 pound-for-pound lists. We’ve kept our panel’s votes anonymous to ensure they had more freedom to be honest rather than protecting their professional or personal relationships, but they break down as follows:

• Four promoters and publicists
• Five managers
• Three trainers
• 13 former and current fighters

The No 1 picks in their list received 10 points, the second got nine, the third eight, fourth seven and so on, with the 10th getting one point. The fighters were then ranked by their total score.

10. Devin Haney

Division: Welterweight
Age: 27
Country: USA
Record: 33-0

Haney started his professional career in Mexico at the age of 17, as the U.S. does not allow boxers to compete until 18. He became a world lightweight champion at 20 and has since moved up to win titles at super-lightweight and welterweight. He was controversially beaten by Ryan Garcia in 2024 but that was changed to a no-contest because his opponent failed a drugs test. His biggest win was a closely contested bout with Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2023, while his unanimous victory over Brian Norman Jr in November was impressive.

9. Artur Beterbiev

Division: Light-heavyweight
Age: 41
Country: Russia
Record: 21-1

A highly-decorated amateur who turned professional 13 years ago, Beterbiev was a much-feared puncher as he rose up the light-heavyweight rankings, having based himself out of Canada. He started to collect titles in the division before his two brilliant fights with compatriot Dmitry Bivol in 2024 and 2025. He won the first and lost the second but injuries have prevented him from fighting since.

8. Jai Opetaia

Division: Cruiserweight
Age: 31
Country: Australia
Record: 30-0

The Sydney-born fighter’s best win probably came against Mairis Briedis in 2022 and he beat the Latvian again in 2024. He has had some quality, eye-catching performances which have showcased his skill but the two-time world champion has had a lack of consistent bouts against top opposition.

Jai Opetaia needs more consistent bouts against top-class opponents (Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

7. Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis

Division: Super-welterweight
Age: 29
Country: USA
Record: 36-0

Now a two-weight world champion, having moved up to super-welterweight and won the WBA and WBO titles in an impressive victory over Xander Zayas, Ennis is a fighter of old-school Philadelphia style who has also reigned as champion at welterweight. This has not been the most illustrious era for the 147lb division but victory over Eimantas Stanionis in 2024 was impressive.

6. David Benavidez

Division: Cruiserweight
Age: 29
Country: USA
Record: 32-0

Now a three-weight world champion after a stunning sixth-round win over Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez back in May, the American-Mexican is a heavy-handed skilled fighter who has won titles at super-middleweight, light-heavyweight and cruiserweight. A Canelo Alvarez fight has evaded him but his biggest nights are still ahead.

5. Shakur Stevenson

Division: Super-lightweight
Age: 29
Country: USA
Record: 25-0

One of the standout American fighters, his last outing was an impressive win over Teofimo Lopez as he moved up to super-lightweight to win a fifth world title in a fourth weight class. A silky-skilled southpaw, the New Jersey native also has notable wins over Oscar Valdez and William Zepeda.

4. Dmitry Bivol

Division: Light-heavyweight
Age: 35
Country: Russia
Record: 25-1

A highly skilled boxer who had long been an avoided foe for many, Bivol won the WBA title, which helped entice opponents to the challenge. He beat Canelo Alvarez in 2022 when the Mexican stepped back up to light-heavyweight but his two defining fights came against compatriot Beterbiev. He lost the first bout in a closely contested but debatable defeat before getting revenge in the rematch last year to become undisputed champion.

Dmitry Bivol celebrates after becoming undisputed world light heavyweight champion after his second fight with Artur Beterbiev (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

3. Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez

Division: Bantamweight
Age: 26
Country: USA
Record: 26-0

A three-weight world champion at just 26 with titles at flyweight, super-flyweight and most recently bantamweight, the Texan is exciting to watch, has fast hands and his aggressive style makes him a draw for fans. Notable wins over Juan Francisco Estrada and Carlos Cuadras at super-flyweight while he superbly broke down Britain’s Sunny Edwards at flyweight.

2. Naoya Inoue

Division: Super-bantamweight
Age: 33
Country: Japan
Record: 33-0

One of the most feared punchers on the planet despite standing at just 5ft 5in and competing at super-bantamweight. He has won world titles in four weight divisions and been undisputed champion in two of them. ‘The Monster’, as he is known, is fast, ferocious and fabulous to watch. Many believe the only way he can lose is if he goes too high in weight.

1. Oleksandr Usyk

Division: Heavyweight
Age: 39
Country: Ukraine
Record: 25-0

Usyk conquered cruiserweight by winning all four belts on the road after turning professional following a stellar amateur career. The Ukrainian then went up to heavyweight in an era of giants in the division and beat everyone of note — despite being smaller than most, at 6ft 3in — to become undisputed again. No longer a world champion, having recently given up all his belts, but he is still the best in most people’s eyes.

Oleksandr Usyk is in the twilight of his career but remains hugely admired (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Who are the most notable fighters to miss out?

Mexican super-middleweight great Canelo Alvarez is probably the biggest casualty but his defeat by the now-retired Terence Crawford last September and inactivity since probably cost him votes.

Mexico’s impressive three-weight champion and current IBF and WBO super-featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete is perhaps unlucky not to be in the top 10.

Japan’s Junto Nakatani recently lost for the first time to Inoue in an entertaining fight after moving up from bantamweight but as a three-weight world champion is still very highly regarded.

Unbeaten Texan Vergil Ortiz Jr is locked in a dispute with Golden Boy Promotions, which has stopped him from a defining fight with Ennis. That bout could see him shoot up the rankings if he was to land it and win.

Others to receive votes from our panel included: strawweight champion Oscar Collazo, super-featherweight champion O’Shaquie Foster, WBO heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, Mexican super-lightweight Isaac Cruz and soon-to-be returning Ukrainian Vasiliy Lomachenko.

How might this change?

Usyk’s decision to drop the three world titles and search for a ‘last dance’ opponent as he nears retirement may soon see him slide down this table, given his remarkable career is nearing its end.

For now, given he remains unbeaten and active, he will be near the top of people’s pound-for-pound lists because of his extraordinary achievements.

Inoue did come top in 10 of our panellists’ lists and was within a whisker of No 1 spot but there are still plenty of big nights ahead for him.

A fight with Rodriguez appears to be in the near future once the talented bantamweight steps up a division. Provisional discussions are under way and it would be a huge showdown between two of the finest fighters on the planet.

Bivol’s inactivity has not cost him a higher place but it may do soon. The Russian returned in May with a win over unheralded German Michael Eifert after 15 months out following his stunning win to avenge his loss to Beterbiev, but he is now undergoing elbow surgery and faces more time out.

His compatriot and former adversary Beterbiev has still not fought since that first career defeat but has maintained votes from the panel.

Stevenson is one of the hottest properties in U.S. boxing and after an impressive victory over Lopez in January to win a title at super-lightweight, the world is waiting on his next step with talks having taken place about signing with Zuffa Boxing.

Haney is another highly-regarded U.S. fighter but has frustratingly been inactive since November of last year, with his promotional future also in doubt. A bout with Stevenson at a catch-weight has been mooted.

Both men could surge up pound-for-pound lists with a win over each other, or other top contenders in their divisions.

Benavidez’s win over Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez in May was one of the outstanding performances of the year and, now at cruiserweight, there is a clamour for him to potentially face Opetaia. That, however, is complicated by the latter being signed to Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing.

Opetaia’s standard of opposition in the last couple of years certainly makes him a surprise inclusion in the list. There is little doubting his abilities, but if he does not step up in class soon, that admiration may be replaced by frustration.

Ennis’ recent win over Zayas was mightily impressive as he broke down a bona fide world champion in emphatic fashion, and in entertaining style. He is certainly someone who may rise in these ranks over the coming months.