Call to the pen
Fansided

New York Yankees: Five infield options if they don’t sign Manny Machado

By Jason Evans

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 17: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees and the American League celebrates with Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles and the American League after hitting a solo home run in the second inning against the National League during the 89th MLB All-Star Game, presented by Mastercard at Nationals Park on July 17, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 17: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees and the American League celebrates with Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles and the American League after hitting a solo home run in the second inning against the National League during the 89th MLB All-Star Game, presented by Mastercard at Nationals Park on July 17, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Yankees
SAN DIEGO, CA – SEPTEMBER 14: Jurickson Profar #19 of the Texas Rangers celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park on September 14, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

Jurickson Profar

Jurickson Profar has long been a trade target of the New York Yankees and why not? He was the number one prospect in baseball once upon a time, but that prospect star faded due to injury. He finally displayed a bit of that ability last season. In his age 25 season, Profar hit .254 with a .793 OPS, all the while playing all over the infield.

With the Rangers undergoing a rebuild and Profar set to hit free agency after the 2020 season, now may be the time for the Rangers to cash in on this asset. The Yankees have plenty of arms in the lower minors the Rangers may want to help them rebuild.

For the New York Yankees, Profar gives them a switch-hitter in a very right-handed lineup. Profar’s best defensive position may be second, which is fine since Gleyber Torres can move over to shortstop while Gregorius recovers from surgery. Even though he would cost a minor league asset or two in a trade, he would be cheaper than going out into the free agent market and signing someone.

Profar’s ability to play multiple positions, in an era where teams, especially the New York Yankees, like to carry 13 pitchers, makes him much more valuable.

Home/New York Yankees