Must make trades for each American League East team: New York Yankees
Trade idea: Acquire Noah Syndergaard
The bats have been turned off for quite some time with the New York Yankees. Despite having huge power hitters such as Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sanchez and of course, Aaron Judge, the Yankees still find themselves near the back half of the league in terms of batting average. They’re currently tied with the horrific Baltimore Orioles in that department at .238.
While that would seem to signal that they need another bat or two in the lineup, that just simply isn’t the case. The Yankees have knocked over 100 balls out of the park and could lead the league again when it’s all said and done. In baseball, slumps happen. Even the most star-driven teams have issues at times locating the ball.
With that said, the Yankees should focus on something else.
At first glance, pitching doesn’t seem to be a major problem. They’re safely ranked in the top ten but outside of ace Gerrit Cole, opposing teams are liable to knock them around the park. Corey Kluber was a gem of a pickup during the off-season but constant injury issues have kept him out of the lineup. To help give them a bonafide number two, the Yankees should reach out to their fellow New York neighbors and find out if former ace, Noah Syndergaard is available.
Syndergaard hasn’t played all year due to a Tommy John surgery last season. Recently, he was shut down due to right elbow inflammation. Even without him, the Mets are still third in the league in ERA with 3.35, making him somewhat disposable.
At one point, Syndergaard was considered one of the best young pitchers in the league but injuries have clearly slowed him down. If the Yankees can get their hands on him, he could easily step in when healthy and become their second-best pitcher. In fact, if Syndergaard is back to what he once was, there’s a chance he could snag the number spot away from Cole. He may not be available to play this season but he would be a reclamation project worth taking on.