The New York Yankees are broken at the moment, but a massive trade could fix them.
Look at that New York Yankees roster. There’s just no way that team, with that much talent, is this bad.
Ok, so only in New York could four games over .500 be regarded as bad. Aaron Judge is the only Yankee hitting over .275 and he’s currently injured. Brett Gardner is hitting under .200. DJ LeMahieu’s on base percentage is lower than his batting average a year ago. Gleyber Torres is in the midst of his second straight disappointing season.
And we haven’t even gotten to the horrific bullpen, especially over the last couple months. Zack Britton has been a liability. Aroldis Chapman has an ERA north of 10 (yes, TEN) since early June.
But they’re still over .500. How? Because the talent is there, they just haven’t heated up – yet.
The Yankees have made the playoffs four straight seasons and 22 of the last 26 seasons. Missing the playoffs in The Bronx is literally a fireable offense.
The Yankees have the offensive talent, so while they do need help, you have to put the bullpen first.
Or maybe they can do both at the same time.
The Yankees should look to the Chicago Cubs for a trade partner. The Yankees helped the Cubs win the 2016 World Series with the Aroldis Chapman trade. Maybe the Cubs can return the favor.
We know the Cubs are blowing it up anyways. Joe Peterson isn’t a superstar by any stretch, but he was just the first in a (presumably) long line of Cubs to be shipped out of Wrigley.
The Cubs have a playoff shot, even if it is a long shot. But they’d be bounced by either one of the Big Three NL West teams in the first round anyway. They have their ring already, now it’s time to look forward.
Nonetheless, the Cubs have some nice trade pieces. There’s talent there, but they have far too many holes to try to fill. Plus, they’re simply not as good as the Brewers or even the Reds.
What should the New York Yankees want? Two pieces: Kris Bryant and Craig Kimbrel.
I know, I know. That’s asking a lot. Kris Bryant could benefit from a change of scenery, and his ability to play third base or the outfield leaves the Yankees with plenty of options as to where he could play. Craig Kimbrel is in the midst of a career resurgence: 35.1 innings, 61 strikeouts, 22 saves, and an incredible 0.51 ERA.
Bryant is on an expiring contract and it doesn’t look like he’s long for Chicago. Kimbrel has a $16 Million option that is likely to be exercised no matter who has him.
So what would the Yankees have to deal: I suggest a four player package.
Bryant, Kimbrel, and a minor league pitcher to the Yankees for Miguel Andujar, Clint Frazier, catcher Antonio Gomez, and RHP Clarke Schmidt.
I know a lot of Yankee fans would hate to move Schmidt, but this is the time. He’s 25 already, 26 when the 2022 season starts. If you wait too long to pull the trigger on a prospect that there isn’t much room for, you have another Clint Frazier situation where you’re left asking why he hasn’t been dealt years ago.
And while on the Frazier subject, he should have been traded a few years ago. The Yankees had Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks had just signed a seven year extension and Brett Gardner kept getting playing time. Frazier was viewed as below those four.. Don’t let the same happen to Schmidt.
Gomez is the 21st overall prospect in the Yankees system. He’s the third ranked catcher, so he is expendable. He’s only 19, has solid power and an a great to elite arm, so the trade value is definitely there also.
This would help the Cubs into the future also. Frazier and Andujar have been odd men out for the Yankees for a bit now. Frazier would benefit from leaving the Yankees and joining a new team. Andujar has never really capitalized on his spectacular rookie season as been the subject of trade rumors for a couple of years now. Andujar could slide right into playing third base and take over for Bryant.
Schmidt would add some potential to a Cubs rotation that hasn’t been great, particularly the 3-4-5 starters. Gomez can continue to grow in the minors while another Cubs trade candidate, Willson Contreras, continues to anchor the catcher position.
As unlikely as this blockbuster is, it would give a major boost to both teams while sending shockwaves throughout baseball.