The New York Yankees are expected to be aggressive ahead of the August 3 MLB Trade Deadline.
New York is expected to look for an impact bat, and the team could look to pull off a blockbuster. Ahead of the deadline, MLB analyst Thomas Carnnone of FanSided shared a six-player blockbuster that sees the Yankees acquiring Rafael Devers from the San Francisco Giants.
Yankees acquire:
Giants acquire:
- Carlos Rodon
- Jasson Dominguez OR Spencer Jones
- RHP Elmer Rodriguez (No. 3) OR RHP Ben Hess (No. 6)
- RHP Xavier Rivas (No. 25)
The proposed deal would be a stunning deal as the Yankees would acquire two solid MLB players for Rodon, one of Dominguez or Jones, and then two pitching prospects. New York would also take on the entire contract of Devers and Lee.
Devers would play first base, which would push Ben Rice to DH and could end Paul Goldschmidt’s time in New York. Devers has seven years left on his 10-year, $313.5 million deal. He’s hitting .246 with 22 home runs and 60 RBIs.
Lee, meanwhile, can take over one of the corner outfield spots as Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger are both injured. He’s under contract through 2029, but there is a one-year opt-out after the 2027 season. He’s hitting .301 with 6 home runs and 37 RBIs this season.
In return, the Yankees would give up Rodon, who’s under contract through 2028. He can anchor the Giants’ rotation, while one of Jones/Dominguez can replace Lee, and the two pitching prospects can potentially reach the majors this season.
Analyst Explains Yankees-Giants Swap
The proposed deal would be a blockbuster and would take the MLB world by surprise.
Yet, Carnnone thinks it’s something New York should do to bolster its offense to be a World Series champion.
“It’s understandable if this is viewed as an overpay/underpay in either direction,” Carnnone wrote. “This is how these proposals go. But the fact of the matter is the Giants need to restructure at almost any cost, since Matt Chapman and Willy Adames are far more untradeable. A deal like this gives them flexibility and some talent potential for the road ahead. And let’s be honest: Lee’s overall MLB track record doesn’t all of a sudden make him an untouchable. He’s got 3.0 WAR over 283 career games.
“Acquiring Devers may feel irresponsible on the Yankees’ end, but he’s in a ballpark that doesn’t suit his strengths, whereas Yankee Stadium would maxmize them. Not to mention, this adds an historic wrinkle to the Yanks-Sox rivalry. Set and forget him at DH and continue adding at the margins over the next few years. There aren’t many impactful opportunities out there, so might as well see how far struggling front offices are willing to go.”
It would be a blockbuster, but it does seem unlikely the Yankees would make such a brash trade midseason.
New York Plans to be Aggressive
Ahead of the deadline, the Yankees are looking to bolster their roster amid plenty of meaningful injuries.
New York could use a bat or two, and ESPN’s Buster Olney reported they will be aggressive.
“Brian Cashman, their general manager, will be aggressive before the trade deadline,” Olney said. “Add a reliever, maybe a right-handed batter. And they will get Judge and Stanton back, and they will be a factor again in October.”
The Yankees are 61-46 and 1.5 games back of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Trade Pitch has Yankees Acquiring Rafael Devers in Stunning 6-Player Blockbuster appeared first on HEAVY.