Brian Cashman made it known that the New York Yankees will be interested in adding at the trade deadline. That was already expected, but with the Yankees playing the way they have to start the season, sitting at 32-20 and six games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East, it’s time to make a move and try to win a World Series.
Searching for potential options, Fantage Vanessa Serrao believes that the Yankees could grab Toronto Blue Jays infielder Addison Barger, a 25-year-old left-handed hitter who has played well for the Blue Jays for parts of his young career.
“Addison Barger is a young player, 25, with a lot of potential,” wrote Serrao. “While Barger is a backup third baseman with the Toronto Blue Jays, he’s providing solid value to the team this season (0.6 WAR). Barger has enhanced the Blue Jays’ lineup this season and provides versatility.
“This means the Blue Jays may not be so interested in trading him to the Yankees. The Blue Jays also don’t have a consistent third baseman right now, but they might be willing to let him go if they get something solid in return,” she wrote.
Will the Yankees Be Active on the Trade Market?
Barger is currently hitting .240, which isn’t great, but he’s very young and has a chance to become a good big league player at some point.
However, the New York Yankees will have to consider that, as they understand that if they want to win a World Series, it might come in the form of veteran talent.
When speaking on Sunday, Brian Cashman admitted that the Yankees need some help at the deadline. He added that pitching will be the focus again, but now with some of the Yankees players getting healthy, he’ll have to see what they look like before the deadline.
“Always pitching, pitching, pitching, whether that’s adding to the rotation or adding to the bullpen,” Cashman said Sunday during an interview with SiriusXM MLB Network Radio.
“Now that DJ LeMahieu has come back and he looks like he’s hopefully in a position to help us,” Cashman said, “we’ll see where we sit when we have everybody flying high.”
What Will the Yankees Be Adding?
Cashman didn’t say that the New York Yankees wouldn’t add a third or second baseman, which they could do either of given that Jazz Chisholm Jr. has the chance to play the other position, but again hinted at adding a starting at pitching at the deadline on Sunday, adding that the market hasn’t declared itself yet and the Yankees will have to wait until things materialize.
“The market just doesn’t declare itself or develop in terms of what opportunities really exist until after the (July 13-15 MLB) draft,” Cashman said. “So who knows what we may need or who knows what we might not need? It’s just premature.
“But the one thing everybody always needs is pitching. No matter how much pitching you have, you can always add to it.”
As long as the Yankees address their pitching and third base needs, there shouldn’t be much to argue about.
Whether that’s the young Toronto Blue Jays player or not remains to be seen, but the Yankees will hopefully have some options.
Yankees Trade Proposal Adds Non-Bichette Blue Jays IF After Cashman’s Comments