The New York Yankees will not have a helpful waiver position in any potential pursuit of Justyn-Henry Malloy of the Detroit Tigers (or anyone else who can help thicken out their bench). That's why they should disregard the process entirely and get a trade done after Detroit cut bait over the weekend.
The ongoing Cody Bellinger free agency dance could (should?) easily spill into January at this point. The higher his asking price goes, the less essential Bellinger seems to the operation. If you can secure his versatility and excellent lefty (and lefty-on-lefty) bat for five seasons, it provides additional stability and mitigates risk.