The New York Yankees have been stuck in the dog days of summer, winning just five of their last 20 games and losing ground in the competitive American League.
But the upcoming MLB trade deadline could give them an opportunity to fill an important gap and bring much-needed offensive production. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller suggested some “realistic” trades for the league’s contenders, suggesting the Yankees could take aim at Athletics utility player Zack Gelof.
Yankees Could Land Offensive Help in Zack Gelof
Miller noted that the Yankees have hit a major rut over the last few weeks, with their bats cooling off despite the summer heat.
“Through their first 72 games, the Yankees had the highest-scoring offense in the American League, then on pace for 245 home runs and 101 wins,” Miller wrote. “Since then, they’ve gone 5-15 with the lowest-scoring offense in baseball and a horrific teamwide batting average of .186.”
Miller noted that while the Yankees “wait for Aaron Judge’s rib to heal, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt have completely vanished after their great starts.” The team has needs across the offense, which could make the versatile Gelof a logical addition.
“Catcher is their most glaring need, but anyone who can reach base would be a welcome addition at this point,” Miller wrote.
Miller suggested the Yankees could trade for Gelof, shipping RHP Carlos Legrange and RHP Eric Reyzelman to the Athletics. The deal could give the Athletics a decent return for a player expected to hit the trade block and a team potentially headed to a fire sale.
“The A’s have fallen apart at the seams, though, dropping 13 of their last 16 games, now closer to last place than first place in the AL West,” Miller wrote. “They have a handful of bats that definitely won’t be going anywhere, but Gelof could be an intriguing name on the block with three years of arbitration eligibility still to come, an .823 OPS and a glove that plays just about anywhere on the field.”
Yankees Could Look for Other Targets
The Yankees are expected to be active ahead of next month’s MLB trade deadline, with ESPN’s Buster Olney suggesting the team could aim for an even bigger target in San Francisco Giants infielder Luis Arraez.
Arraez, a three-time batting champion, is on a strong pace again this season. He is hitting .327 with an .826 OPS and could bring an immediate jolt to the stagnant offense in the Bronx.
Olney suggested that Arraez could be a more effective bridge between their current struggles and the return of Judge and others, urging the Yankees to find any way to make the deal work.
“They have to find a way to build a bridge to that time when Judge and Stanton and [Max] Fried and [Carlos] Rodon come back, which is why I think today that Brian Cashman, the Yankees general manager, should get on the phone with the San Francisco Giants and basically not let Buster Posey off the phone until he makes a deal for Luis Arraez,” Olney said on “ESPN Baseball Tonight.”
Yankees Predicted to Land ‘Intriguing’ Player to Fill Aaron Judge Gap