hot stove

The latest on the New York Yankees first base situation

by
anthony rizzo, yankees

The New York Yankees have had a very slow start to the offseason, much slower than many would’ve expected. Sure, they’ve made a few roster moves, but there have been no free agent signings or big trades thus far.

One major area of need is the shortstop position and that appears to be Brian Cashman’s top priority at the moment. However, there’s another very important infield position that Cashman will also be looking at and that’s first base.

The Yankees currently have Luke Voit, but all expectations are that the bombers are looking to move on from Voit. They tried hard to move him at the trade deadline this year and they have already put him on the block this offseason.

You’ll notice that when scenarios are thrown out about first base with the Yankees, Voit’s name is rarely discussed. So, what is the latest with the Yanks and first base? Well, there are a few options out there at the moment and Cashman is in on all of them.

Yankees First Base Options for 2022

The hottest offseason rumor for the Yankees is the proposed trade with the Oakland Athletics that would net the Yanks All Star Matt Olson. Oakland is looking to shed some salary and with Olson expected to make $12 million next year, they’ve made him available.

The Yankees and A’s have already had dialogue on the potential deal. However, they remain far apart and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman said that the A’s are ‘shooting for the moon’. They should given Olson’s production and the fact that he comes with two years of control.

The Yankees have also met with the representatives of Freddie Freeman. However, this is being looked at as more of a check the box type of meeting than a serious discussion. Nobody in the industry is expecting Freddie Freeman to leave Atlanta.

Then you have Anthony Rizzo. Cashman has already talked about a potential reunion with Rizzo with Rizzo’s agent early in the offseason. Rizzo is said to have really enjoyed his time with the Yankees and he checks a ton of boxes for New York.

Lockout Looming

However, the latest word is that New York and Rizzo are far apart in a potential deal. With the looming CBA lockout, it’s starting to look more and more like the Yanks aren’t going to do anything major before the lockout which is going to really put them in a time crunch. If a lockout occurs, most expect it to last until February.

The post-lockout timing could create havoc on the market. For free agency and for trades, teams are going to have a very short window to fill a ton of needs. This will drive prices even higher. In my opinion, it would have been much better for the Yankees to take care of some needs before the mad scramble in February.

The idea has been floated that DJ LeMahieu plays first next year, but I just can’t see that happening. I think the Yankees want a left-handed first baseman and I’m convinced that either Matt Olson or Anthony Rizzo will be at first next year. Currently, I’m leaning towards a Rizzo reunion being the most likely outcome.

Sound Off: Who do you want to see at first next year? Let us know in the comments!

New York Yankees favored to sign Justin Verlander? Decision could come soon

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Verlander

New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that the team would focus on upgrading shortstop along with examining first base, centerfield, and pitching this offseason. It’s clear that the Yanks intend to be very active this offseason.

This week is supposed to be an action-packed week for the front office. Tomorrow, we have the deadline for players who were extended qualifying offers. Later this week, we also have the 40-Man roster deadline which will force the Yankees to make some moves.

Right now, it appears that they are looking at making a bigger trade this week that would send multiple prospects back for one player. Brian Hoch mentioned this possibility on Jomboy’s Talkin’ Yanks podcast today. That said, the Yankees appear to be focused on pitching this week.

Earlier today, we saw the news that the Angels were signing Noah Syndergaard to a one-year deal. According to Joel Sherman, the Yankees were monitoring the Syndergaard situation but it’s not known whether or not they made an offer.

However, there is one starter who they appear to be locked in on and there is mutual interest. That pitcher would be former Cy Young award winner, Justin Verlander. At the moment, Verlander appears to be the top pitching target for the Yanks.

Yankees favorites for Verlander?

ESPN’s Jeff Passan alluded to this yesterday in saying that the Yankees might be the favorites to land Justin Verlander. The Yanks had multiple scouts in attendance to watch Verlander throw his bullpen session and they came away very impressed with what they saw.

There are rumors going around now that the Yankees are talking about a potential two-year deal with the former Cy Young winner. Verlander will be 39 years old by the time the season starts, but he’s made it clear that he intends to pitch for several more years if his arm holds up.

The Yankees seem serious about signing Verlander and Verlander appears very interested in New York. A decision could come as soon as tonight if not tomorrow, but the expectation is that we will know where Verlander is going regardless by the end of the week.

Now, one thing to keep in mind is what Noah Syndergaard signed for today. The deal he got surprised many in the industry and if he’s commanding that kind of premium, Justin Verlander is going to want more. Given the tight rope the Yankees are trying to walk, that could perhaps force them to balk at the price.

If that were to happen, I would expect New York to shift towards acquiring pitching via trades with the premiums on free agents being so high. This should be a fun week for Yankees fan and don’t be surprised if at some point you see that Verlander is going to be wearing pinstripes.

New York Yankees interested in a big deal with the Oakland Athletics

by
yankees, matt olson

The GM meetings are going on currently and the New York Yankees are preparing to act quickly this offseason. While some teams are taking the slow approach with the potential lockout coming, other teams are looking to strike early and often.

I’ve talked with a couple of people that are at the meetings who say the Yankees are giving off the vibe as one of those early and often teams. There are several big needs for the Bronx Bombers this offseason. Brian Cashman told the media yesterday that he’s already engaged in conversations with two top shortstops.

This has been confirmed by Jim Bowden to be Carlos Correa and Corey Seager. Buster Onley of ESPN said this morning that the Yankees appear to be zeroing in on the very top of the shortstop market. This shouldn’t surprise anyone given the talent at the top of the market.

One other area the Yankees need to address is first base. While they still have Luke Voit, all indications are that they are moving on from Voit this offseason. At the trade deadline, they acquired Anthony Rizzo who provided much better defense and balance to the lineup from the left side of the plate.

Cashman has said that the Yankees have already discussed a reunion with Rizzo’s agent. However, there’s another big name the Yanks are interested in at first base. That name is Matt Olson and by all indications, New York is interested in doing big business with Oakland.

Will the Yankees and A’s make a big deal?

If you know Brian Cashman, you know that he likes to make deals with the same GMs. Cashman and Billy Beane have a great relationship. If there’s a deal to be made, Cashman would rather do it with a guy like Beane who he trusts.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network has already confirmed that the Yankees have had discussions to acquire Matt Olson. Of course, nothing is imminent or even remotely close. However, the Yanks are interested in acquiring the superstar first baseman and for good reason.

I absolutely love Anthony Rizzo, but Matt Olson is better all the way around. He’s younger, under team control, and he just happened to hit 39 bombs last year from the left side of the plate. He’s also a two-time gold glove winner.

If a deal make sense, the Yanks preference would likely be to acquire Olson. However, if the prospect ask is too high, they do appear to be very in on resigning Anthony Rizzo to play first. If the Yankees were to acquire Olson from Oakland, the deal might not stop there.

Olson Plus Pitching?

Jon Heyman reported that Oakland is ready to sell this offseason and that they will listen to offers on starters Chris Bassitt, Frankie Montas, and Sean Manaea. The Yankees are in the market for starting pitching right now and are already in on Justin Verlander.

There is the possibility that the Yankees and A’s could do a huge deal that would involve Olson and one of the starters above. Of course, the deal would have to hurt from a prospect standpoint for New York. I would imagine that Luke Voit would also go back to Oakland in this kind of a deal.

At this point there’s no momentum towards a deal happening, but this is definitely something to monitor. Again, Cashman and Beane have a great working relationship. If there’s a deal to be had there, the Yankees could make a big splash early like they did when they got James Paxton in 2018.

New York Yankees scout free agent and former Cy Young winner Justin Verlander

by
Verlander

The New York Yankees are preparing for a very active offseason this year. Granted, their activity might be hindered in the short-term based on the lockout that could occur, but nevertheless, the Yankees know they have to make some upgrades and plan on doing so.

One of the most obvious areas for upgrades would be the starting rotation. Right now, there are once again a lot of question marks surrounding the Bombers rotation. Of course, you have Gerrit Cole who will be starting game one next season.

Behind him, Jordan Montgomery and Luis Severino figure to have spots in the rotation. Severino hasn’t started a game in a couple of years, but he did return and looked solid out of the bullpen in 2021. The Yankees are planning on slotting him back into the rotation.

Jameson Taillon will be a part of the rotation at some point, however, offseason ankle surgery will prevent him from starting the season. After that, you have options like Nestor Cortes, Domingo German, and Clarke Schmidt among others.

With the lack of certainty, the Yankees are already looking into the starting pitching market. The first guy they’ve looked at so far this offseason is someone that fans should be very familiar with. That pitcher would be former Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander.

Yankees in on Verlander?

This week, Justin Verlander had a bullpen session that was scouted by many teams in baseball. The Blue Jays and Mets were among the teams that sent scouts to watch Verlander who was apparently touching 95-96 MPH on his fastball.

The Yankees were also among the teams that sent out scouts to watch Verlander per Joel Sherman. The Yanks did this last year with Corey Kluber and they ended up signing Kluber to a one-year deal. While Kluber had moments, including a no-hitter, injuries plagued his time in pinstripes.

Verlander was shut down and was forced to get Tommy John surgery after one start in 2020. In that one start, Verlander got the win by going six innings and giving up two runs. Verlander also missed all of 2021 while recovering from Tommy John.

His last full season came back in 2019 and he was sensational. Verlander edged Gerrit Cole for the Cy Young by going 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA and a historic WHIP of .803 while assisting in leading Houston to the World Series which included defeating the Yankees. The prior year, Verlander finished second in the Cy Young voting.

Verlander has stated that he’s ready to go and he’s actually said that he wants to pitch until he’s 45 years old. The former Cy Young winner will be 39 years old by the time of Opening Day next season. Despite missing the last two seasons, the Astros made Verlander a qualifying offer.

If the Yankees were to sign Verlander, they would have to give up draft compensation to Houston. At this moment, there’s no indication on how serious the interest is from New York. However, it is a very Brian Cashman-like signing. This isn’t Corey Kluber btw, I think if Verlander were to sign with New York, he would make a much bigger impact.

Could the New York Yankees acquire two players from the Minnesota Twins?

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Today is expected to be a busy day for the New York Yankees front office. The team has an off-day and Brian Cashman is expected to be making calls throughout the day checking in on potential trade pieces.

One of those trade pieces is Max Kepler. MLB Network’s JP Morosi reported this morning that the Twins have started having discussions about trading the left-handed hitting Kepler. The Yankees have checked in with the Twins in recent weeks regarding Kepler’s availability.

Now, at this time it’s not entirely clear how interested they are in Kepler. What we do now is how bad the Yankees have been from the left side of the plate this year. They are one of the worst teams in baseball when it comes to left-handed production.

Kepler would not only assist them in that area, but he would also aid them in the outfield. Not too mention the fact that Kepler has a very team-friendly deal and would be under control for the next few seasons.

While Kepler’s numbers haven’t been sensational this year, we are just two years removed from him hitting 36 home runs. The Yankees could really use him at the plate and in the outfield.

The Yankees interested in reuniting with a Twins pitcher?

It is also being widely reported that the Twins are interested in moving Michael Pineda this week. Pineda is scheduled to start this week and there are expected to be a lot of eye balls on that start.

I wouldn’t rule out the Yankees as one of those teams interested. Obviously, the Yankees are very familiar with Michael Pineda. Pineda spend four years in The Bronx and made a total of 89 starts while he was with the Yankees.

So far this year, Pineda is 4-5 and pitching to a 3.93 ERA. Pineda is set to become a free agent at the end of the year. It’s widely known that the Yankees are also looking at pitching targets this week and perhaps they would entertain reuniting with Pineda.

At this time, there’s no word on if there’s any traction there. This is purely speculation considering the needs of the team and what Minnesota has available. I would expect the Yankees to remain engaged with The Twins throughout this week and perhaps a deal could materialize.

Sound Off: Would you be interested in the Yankees acquiring both Max Kepler and Michael Pineda from the Twins?

Exploring a blockbuster trade concept between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals

by
New York Yankees, Gleyber Torres

The New York Yankees are riding a fine line as we near the trade deadline. While the team has checked in on a number of fronts, the front office is still trying to decide exactly what they want to do at the deadline.

Should the Yankees go big and be buyers? The team certainly has the prospect capital and pieces to make some big moves happen. We will explore a potential blockbuster trade with the Royals in this article.

The Yankees could also stand pat. This is what we saw Brian Cashman do in 2019 despite the fact that the Yankees were a World Series contender. Cashman felt that the prices were too high and with Severino and Betances returning from injury at the time, he figured it was best to stand pat.

The Yankees have a number of players out right now so we might hear that same speech. The Bombers could also decide to sell at the deadline. Now, I don’t think they would sell in the same way that the Cubs will.

There will be no depletion of the roster, but you could see them unload a couple of pieces. Now, I believe they are more likely to stand pat and do nothing if I’m being honest. However, let’s say they go big and decide to buy. Well, the Kansas City Royals have a few pieces of interest.

Blockbuster Concept between the Yankees and Royals

I was scrolling through the Trade Simulator earlier to see what potential deals fans would like to see the Yankees make. I came across one deal that might surprise you at first, but makes a lot of sense when you think about it.

Yankees Acquire: Whit Merrifield, Andrew Benintendi, and Josh Staumont

Royals Acquire: Gleyber Torres, Miguel Andujar, and Michael King

Yes, the trade involves the Yankees dumping Gleyber Torres which might surprise some, but it really shouldn’t. On the simulator, this trade worked out to be a completely even trade between the two clubs.

Why the Royals would say yes?

The Royals are a last place team currently. While they had aspirations to potentially be a 500 club this year, it hasn’t come together and the team has drastically underperformed all expectations.

With that, there’s a lot of attention surrounding the Royals and whether they’d be sellers. The Yankees are a team that lines up with them. Whit Merrifield is a hot name on the trade market, but Dayton Moore has stated on numerous occasions that he will not part with Merrifield unless he’s blown away.

Moore has been hesitant to sell in the past, but he could do it for the right package, and the package proposed would be hard to turn down. Moore wants Major Leaguers, and he could get three here. The Royals could put Gleyber Torres back at second base and plan on a future with him and Bobby Witt Jr up the middle.

Getting Miguel Andujar‘s bat and Michael King‘s versatility would supplement the other pieces lost. The Royals like Andrew Benintendi, but they would part with him if it meant acquiring a package that features a Gleyber Torres.

Why the Yankees would say yes?

Why on Earth would the Yankees trade Gleyber Torres in a package like this? Well, the short answer is the fact that he’s not a shortstop. Yes, the defense has improved this year, but the offense has been a nightmare. Simply put, Torres is not the same player when he’s called to play short.

Gio Urshela has proved he can handle shortstop for the Yankees this season if needed. The Bombers also have an extremely healthy crop of young shortstops storming through the minor leagues right now. On top of that, the star studded shortstop free agent class this year could have Cashman thinking about a new shortstop on the open market.

Merrifield could slot in at second or in centerfield given the need for the day. Whit Merrifield has been amongst the leagues best hitters over the last few years. He doesn’t strike out a lot and he knows how to put the ball in play. Not too mention the fact that his speed would be a big boost for the Yankees. His contract is also cheap and you’d have him for next season as well.

Andrew Benintendi is a proven player in the AL East. He would allow the Yankees to get a left handed bat that they desperately need and he could be the starting left fielder moving forward for the next couple of seasons.

The Yankees have liked Michael King’s versatility, but they might be better suited with Josh Staumont. Staumont has electric stuff and would play nicely in the bullpen alongside Jonathan Loaisiga and Chad Green moving forward.

Odds of a deal like this?

While the trade simulator says it’s a good deal and both sides would have their reasons, the odds the Yankees and Royals make this move are very low. What’s crazy is I think the Royals might turn this down before the Yankees would.

From talking to folks in Kansas City, Dayton Moore really does not want to sell off his players. Even if the Yankees offered someone like Gleyber Torres, he might not budge. Meanwhile, Brian Cashman loves Gleyber Torres and any mention of Torres in trades might be a non-starter in the first place.

At this time of the year, it’s fun to ponder these potential trades. This would certainly be a wild one that would really shake up both teams, but it’s one that would theoretically work for both sides.

Sound Off: If you were the GM of the Yankees and were offered this deal, would you say yes?

The New York Yankees face big decisions as the deadline draws near

by
hal steinbrenner, brian cashman

Last night, the New York Yankees had a golden opportunity presented to them. Down seven games in the division against the Red Sox, they held a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the ninth with a chance to cut it to six.

Cutting it to six with Gerrit Cole pitching today means you were looking at a real possibility that the Yankees could be down only five games going into Saturday. However, Chad Green imploded and blew the lead in the ninth.

In extras, Brooks Kriske was historically bad and the Yankees lost 5-4 in ten. Another devastating loss in an extremely winnable game. This is the fourth time this season that the Yankees have lost after winning by multiple runs in the ninth inning.

Right when you think this team is building momentum, they find a way to rip your heart out. Now, as mentioned, they have a good chance to bounce back with the ace on the mound today. There is truly no excuse for the Yankees to lose a Gerrit Cole – Eduardo Rodriguez game to Boston.

If they lose?

In my opinion, tonight will be the night where we find out what the Yankees will do at the deadline. If they do not win this game tonight, I truly believe that will be the nail in the coffin in terms of the team being big buyers.

At that point, the team would be nine games out of the AL East and five games out of the Wild Card. This team needs to send Brian Cashman a signal that there’s life and if they lose tonight, the Yankees won’t give off the image of a team with life.

What if the Yankees win?

However, let’s say the Yankees go out there and win tonight like they should. Well, you’re still down seven in the division and possibly four in the Wild Card. You’re not going to be favored in either of the games against Boston over the weekend.

Of course you want to win the series, but realistically, the Yankees wanted to at least split the series. They were in prime position to have that done at a minimum through two games.

At this point, Brian Cashman isn’t inclined to go out there and spend in prospect capitol to make a big move. The team isn’t doing a good enough job of making him truly believe that they are a World Series caliber club.

Yes, they’ve won a few series in a row and yes they are missing a ton of pieces right now. However, that last statement is why you might not see Brian Cashman do anything regardless of what the Yankees do between now and the deadline.

In 2019, Cashman said that the prices were too high. Getting Betances and Severino back was better than any trade they could’ve made per Cashman. Well, If the Yankees are still contender a week from now, Cashman can point to getting Judge, Voit, Urshela, Severino, and Kluber back.

What the Yankees should do

In my opinion, the Yankees should make a move that benefits them not just for the rest of this year, but for next year as well. There has been talk with Colorado about Trevor Story, but in speaking with MLB folks in Colorado, the odds of a deal coming together are slim.

Story is a free agent after this season and it’s not a guarantee that the Yankees would want to dish out a big deal for him. So if not Story, who should the Yankees target? I still love the idea of going out and getting Joey Gallo.

Gallo provides much needed pop from the left side and he’s controlled through 2022 as well. Gallo is a move they can make that benefits both this year and next year. Another guy I would love to see the Yankees get is Adam Frazier.

Frazier is cut from the same cloth as a DJ LeMahieu. Low strikeouts with a lot of contact and he swings it from the left side. Frazier would be a great addition for the Yankees and again, he’s controlled through next season.

Call Kansas City Now

My other picks would be Andrew Benintendi and/or Whit Merrifield. I’m from Kansas City and I know a lot of people in the Royals scene. Dayton Moore is not inclined to sell Merrifield or Benintendi despite the fact that the Royals are in last place.

However, if the Yankees could put together a good enough package, maybe he’d do it. If you could somehow get both of them, that would be a huge deal. Benintendi is proven in the East and Merrifield gives the Yankees another LeMahieu type player.

There are a ton of options for Brian Cashman. I do not think they should sit back and do nothing, however, from what I’m hearing, that’s more likely than seeing them make a big splash. For my sake and the sake of Yankee fans, I hope I’m wrong.

Will the New York Yankees be buyers or sellers at the deadline?

by
New York Yankees, Brian Cashman

The New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman was blunt yesterday in saying that the team sucked. To be quite honest, it was honestly refreshing to get away from Aaron Boone’s optimism speeches and here someone say it like it is; this team sucks right now.

Now, I will say, I didn’t like how Cashman refused to blame anything on Boone. His inability to get anything out of this roster should be called out along with the rest of the coaches. That said, there are so many problems with the Yankees that it’s hard to pinpoint the blame.

The Yankees did respond yesterday by pummeling the Angels 11-5. The win snapped a four-game losing streak which included a sweep by the Boston Red Sox. Today is the last day of June and the trade deadline is just around the corner.

The Yankees find themselves in an interesting position. Heading into the season, many pegged The Bombers as a threat to win the World Series. However, now, it’s hard to even imagine this fourth-place team making the playoffs.

The team has the pieces to make a huge second-half run, but it’s hard to even imagine at this point with the way they look. With the deadline coming up, the question will shift from ‘Who will the Yankees get?’ to ‘Are they going to buy or sell?’

Will the Yankees buy?

Brian Cashman didn’t rule out the possibility that the Yankees would be sellers when speaking to the media yesterday. I think the GM is keeping all of his options open at this point and the next couple of weeks will really dictate the rest of the season.

If the Yankees decide to buy, they need to look at centerfield and they need to look at starters. We really don’t know what were going to get out of Corey Kluber and Luis Severino the rest of the way.

If both guys come back and pitch to their potential, that’s huge for the Yankees. However, should the bombers bank on that? Absolutely not. If they want to contend, they need to go out and get another starting pitcher they can rely on to pitch behind Gerrit Cole.

Obviously centerfield has been a disaster with Hicks out and the Yankees need someone of quality patrolling the middle. Perhaps someone like a Starling Marte or Joey Gallo could be in the cards. Ketel Marte would be the ideal target, but it’s hard to see that happening.

Hybrid approach?

If the Yankees completely fall apart in the coming weeks, I definitely see a scenario well they decide to sell. However, it won’t be a sell in the traditional sense. Instead, I could see them selling to build towards a WS run in 2022.

What could that entail? Well, trading Gleyber Torres or Clint Frazier could very well be in the cards. Also trading away some relievers could be in the cards as well. Now, you might ask how trading Gleyber Torres could help in 2022?

Well, I think it’s obvious at this point that Gleyber Torres is not a shortstop. If a team in contention needs a really solid second base option Torres could be the guy. With his potential, the Yankees could still get a good haul for him and they’d be in a position to sign one of the star free agent shortstops in the offseason to replace him.

The situation in The Bronx is extremely fluid at the moment. I still believe that this team has the pieces to make a run, but were at the point where I have to see it to believe it will actually happen. There’s a lot of pressure on Brian Cashman and I’ll be very curious to see the strategy unfold over the next month.

What should the Yankees do at the deadline? Buy to try and win this year or sell to build towards next year?

Will the New York Yankees talk potential trade deals with the Royals this week?

by
New York Yankees, Brian Cashman

The New York Yankees are feeling pretty decent right now after their recent 5-1 stretch. That stretch was much needed as the bombers looked horrendous for much of the last month. Fans began to grow increasingly frustrated with the struggling team who fell to fourth place for a time.

The Yankees recent stretch has everyone feeling a little better, but there’s still a ways to go before we start feeling good about this ballclub. As of this morning, the bombers are still in 3rd place in the division. If the season ended today, they’d be going home.

Starting tonight, The Kansas City Royals are coming to New York for a three-game series. The Royals are currently 32-38 so this looks like it could be another great opportunity for the Yankees to pickup another series victory as they try to chip away at the division.

While a focus will certainly be on the games against the Royals, I can’t help but think that Brian Cashman and his team might do some scouting this week. Perhaps, the Yankees could also do a little talking with Dayton Moore and the Royals front office.

Is a Yankees and Royals trade in the cards?

It’s no secret that there are holes with this Yankees team. The club needs a little help as they gear up towards the second half of the season. There are still big questions in the outfield and the starting rotation.

There are also questions at first base with Luke Voit’s inability to stay on the field this season. The Royals do not look like a team that will make a run for the playoffs. You could see them sell off some pieces at the deadline as they prep for the future.

With that, the Yankees could take advantage. A couple of names that were being whispered about earlier in the season were Danny Duffy and Andrew Benintendi. Duffy is having a career season on the mound with a 1.94 ERA. However, recent injuries have given teams pause on acquiring him.

Duffy is set to be a free agent after the season so if he can come back healthy, he could be an option for the Yankees before the deadline. Benintendi would help the Yankees in the outfield and on the left side of the plate. However, a recent crack to his rib also might take him off the table.

Other trade options

Another name being floated around is Michael Taylor. Taylor is also set to be a free agent after the season and would by far be the cheapest acquisition the Yankees could make from Kansas City.

Taylor could help the bombers out in the outfield given all the issues the team has had there. A name that has been floated around for the last couple of years is Whit Merrifield. Merrifield can play all around the infield and the outfield.

He’s led the majors in hits a couple of times and would be a major acquisition for the Yankees. However, Dayton Moore has said over the last couple of years that he doesn’t want to part with Merrifield as he sees Whit as a guy to build around for the future.

Mike Minor could be a guy the Yankees look at for the rotation and Carlos Santana could be another name to watch. There’s no smoke around any of these players right now, but these are all potential targets depending on what Brian Cashman decides

The New York Yankees can’t repeat history at the 2021 deadline

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New York Yankees, Aaron Boone, Brian Cashman

The New York Yankees bats came alive last night and they finally picked up a win. The bombers defeated the Twins 8-4 in a night where we saw the offense collect 14 hits and they slugged two home runs.

It was a much needed boost for the Yankees who came into the game limping after losing four straight. Not too mention the drama involving Gerrit Cole and sticky stuff that came around yesterday.

Simply put, this year for the Yankees has been a disaster. They entered the year on the shortlist of favorites to contend for a World Series. Now, they are sitting 6.5 games back of first place in the division just three games over 500.

If the season ended today, the Yankees would miss the playoffs. Aaron Boone has been a complete nightmare, the offense has been non-existent, and the pitching has been very up and down. There is no consistency with this team.

The Yankees need a boost in the worst way right now. With that in mind, a lot of people have been talking about the approaching trade deadline. Will Brian Cashman make any moves to upgrade the club? Well, if this team wants to contend, the Yankees cannot repeat recent history in 2021.

Yankees Must Do Something

The trade deadline brings excitement to the game of baseball in the month of July. Fans across the nation gather around the hot stove as they wonder whether or not their team will make that move that pushes them over the top.

However, for Yankees fans, the trade deadline has provided more annoyance than anything else over the past couple of seasons. Back in 2018, Brian Cashman made some moves to try and upgrade the pitching staff. This involved acquiring JA Happ, Lance Lynn, and Zach Britton. 

Obviously, the moves didn’t help as the Yankees were sent home in the first round of the playoffs. The last two seasons, the Yankees needed to make some moves to improve the roster for their postseason push, yet Brian Cashman did nothing outside of acquiring a pitcher named Alfredo.

Shockingly, the Yankees didn’t win anything either of the last two seasons. Now more than ever, the Yankees need to do something. They’ve been atrocious offensively from the left side of the plate. There are a ton of question marks surrounding the rotation and this team is awful at baseball fundamentals.

The bombers have to make a deal at the deadline. This is not a recommendation of something they should do, I’m saying they need to. If Brian Cashman sits on his hands like he has the last two deadlines, you might as well kiss the season goodbye.

The Yankees have been too complacent in depending on their current resources. This team cannot afford to hope the rotation stays in tact or hope the offense picks up. If things are slow, they must move. Enough of the hope, it’s time for action.