The New York Yankees are in win-now mode and will look to bolster their roster throughout the season.
New York could look to add some more hitting help and a reliever. MLB analyst Patrick McAvoy of SI shared a trade pitch that sees the Yankees acquiring Lars Nootbaar as part of a three-player trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Yankees acquire:
Cardinals acquire:
The proposed deal does make sense for both sides as New York gets a solid outfielder and some bullpen help, while St. Louis gets a young outfielder to replace Nootbaar and rebuild around.
The Yankees would acquire Nootbaar, who has one more year of club control, so he could be an impact hitter for a year and a half for New York. Nootbaar could be a solid fourth outfielder and also be a full-time starter next season, assuming Trent Grisham goes elsewhere. Nootbaar hit .234 with 13 home runs and 48 RBIs last season. He’s expected to return in late May from injury, so he could be a perfect trade chip at the deadline.
New York would also acquire Romero, who can help shore up the bullpen. The left-hander is in the final year of control, so St. Louis could look to deal him. Romero is a solid mid-leverage reliever, but could even be a high-leverage reliever for the Yankees. He’s pitched 4 scoreless innings this season.
In return, the Yankees would deal Dominguez, who is a top trade chip. Dominguez was optioned to Triple-A, and his future with the team is up in the air. With the Cardinals, Dominguez can be an everyday player and replace the void of Nootbaar.
Analyst Explains Yankees-Cardinals Trade
The bold trade between the Yankees and Cardinals appears to be a win-win for both sides and does make sense.
St. Louis gets younger, while the Yankees get two impactful MLB players to help them right now, which is what McAvoy reasons for the move.
“In this scenario, the Yankees would trade away a former top prospect in Domínguez who didn’t make the club out of camp for an outfielder who has had a lot of success in the majors in Nootbaar and a lefty reliever who logged a 2.07 ERA in 65 appearances in 2025,” McAvoy wrote.
“In 2026, he hasn’t allowed an earned run through three appearances. Nootbaar is on the 60-Day Injured List, so this type of deal is contingent on him returning to form once he’s activated. But there will be plenty of time before the August trade deadline for him to show that he can play.”
But, for the trade to happen, Nootbaar will need to be back from injury and show he can play.
New York Wanted Dominguez to Get Everyday Reps
The Yankees optioned Dominguez ahead of Opening Day, and general manager Brian Cashman said it was due to the team wanting to get him everyday reps.
New York had some difficult choices to make, but giving Dominguez regular at-bats is key for his development.
“I would concede it’s in his best interest to be getting everyday reps,” Cashman said. “We’ll just have to wait and see how the spring shakes out, who’s standing, and then we’ll make the appropriate decisions when we have our meetings close to the end of camp.”
Dominguez is hitting .294 with 1 home run and 4 RBIs in Triple-A.
Trade Pitch Sees Yankees Acquiring Star OF, Reliever in Blockbuster Deal With Cards