The New York Yankees look like a true threat in the American League East, and due to some slow starts to other division foes, should be in play for a division crown come September. But is there anything the team could add via the external market in the near future?
ESPN’s David Schoenfield claimed in a recent trade preview piece that the Yankees could ‘likely need’ bullpen help, and also named pitching prospect Ben Hess as the Yankees ‘trade candidate’.
Could Houston Astros reliever Bryan Abreu be a target for the Yankees, and is he a reliever New York would want to target?
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Is This Player-Swap Trade Idea Between the Astros and Yankees Fair?
GettyYankees former first-round pick named as trade chip.
In this hypothetical trade idea, the New York Yankees offload pitching prospect Ben Hess to the Astros for reliever Bryan Abreu.
In Shoenfield’s piece, Abreu is the ‘trade candidate’ for Houston, and it’s safe to speculate on what his chances to be traded is:
“He’s one of four Houston starters to land on the injured list since the start of the season. Including Abreu here is contingent on the reliever figuring things out. He has been unable to throw strikes — and when he does, he has given up the long ball, with four home runs in just seven-plus innings. But he has been one of the top relievers in the majors during the past four seasons with a 2.30 ERA and more strikeouts than any other reliever.”
Bryan Abreu is off to a rocky start in 2026, giving up 12 earned runs in 7.1 innings, with an ugly 14+ ERA.
However, he has a career 2.91 ERA out of the bullpen over parts of eight MLB seasons.
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Who Says No To This Potential Trade?
There’s no way the New York Yankees would turn this deal down.
This is the perfect time to buy low on Bryan Abreu and enjoy his positive regression, and maybe he needs a change of scenery to unlock his 2025 self again. Plus, it’s still early in the season, and given the Astros pitching struggles, Abreu will get several chances.
If anything, the Yankees would have to throw in another MLB-ready player or top-tier prospect to acquire the Astros reliever.
The MLB trade deadline is still a few months away, but things are not trending in the right direction for Houston, and they have the chance to capitalize on Bryan Abreu’s worth now before he hits MLB free agency.
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Yankees Trade Idea Lands Astros’ 2.91 ERA Reliever for Ben Hess