The upcoming trade deadline carries very high stakes for the New York Yankees.
Having fallen four games back of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East, the Yankees’ roster suddenly looks more flawed than ever. They’ve got no reliable starting third baseman, and the starting rotation and bullpen both lack reliable depth.
With only six days to go until Thursday’s deadline, Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez has emerged as the top projected target for the Yankees — which makes sense, considering he has 36 home runs, only one fewer than New York superstar Aaron Judge.
But what if there’s a Suárez trade to be made with the Diamondbacks that can satisfy multiple needs? Just Baseball’s Ryan Finkelstein and Jay Staph believe that’s what the coming week holds.
On Friday, Finkelstein and Staph predicted that the Yankees would acquire both Suárez and starting pitcher Zac Gallen for a package of right-handed pitchers Carlos Lagrange and Bryce Cunningham, and catcher/third baseman Jesus Rodriguez.
“If the Yankees truly want to make a big impact during this year’s deadline and acquire these two stars, they’ll have to part with a sizable package in return. However, for a pitcher with ace potential and one of the best third basemen in the sport, it’ll be worth it,” wrote Finkelstein and Staph.
“While the D-Backs will be losing a lot of talent in this move, they’ll also be gaining quite a bit of talent in the process. Between Lagrange, Cunningham and Rodriguez, they’re setting up their farm system quite nicely in this deal.”
Suárez and Gallen are both expiring free agents, and in theory, the Yankees are giving up 18 years of control over future big-leaguers in this mock trade. It’s the definition of a win-now move, as Suárez is in All-Star form, while Gallen brings World Series experience from 2023.
The D-Backs traded first baseman Josh Naylor on Thursday night, so it seems as though they’re committed to selling. Now, we’ll have to wait and see if it’s the Yankees who step up for Suárez and/or Gallen.
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