With the New York Yankees looking very much like a team that could go deep into the postseason in 2022, what players could the Yankees look for in a trade that could make their team even stronger? Here are three possibilities, including a pair of players from the Chicago Cubs.
A look at 3 way-too-early trade targets who could boost the New York Yankees in their chase for the World Series
Let’s start behind the plate with Willson Contreras of the Chicago Cubs. We detailed why Contreras would be a perfect fit for the Yankees in this article, but the Yankees have not improved much at catcher since we published the article a few days ago. Entering Tuesday’s play, the Yankees catching tandem of Kyle Higashioka and Jose Trevino have posted a minus-0.7 bWAR. That’s tied for 23rd-lowest in all of baseball with, among others, two other teams in the American League East (Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox).
Bringing Contreras from the Windy City to the Big Apple just makes too much sense for it not to happen. There are very few catchers currently in the game who can make a difference behind the plate and at the plate as well, and Contreras fits into that category. His home runs (five) and RBI (14) are more than New York’s catchers have combined to produce so far this season.
With Higashioka missing a bit of time recently with flu-like symptoms, it brought to light just how thin the current options are for the Yankees behind the plate. That issue can be eliminated quickly by the Yankees trading for Contreras, but the asking price will not be cheap. Plenty of teams will be looking to upgrade at catcher. Will the Yankees be willing to spend enough to grab a player who could be a game-changer behind the plate?