According to a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the New York Yankees are “aggressively” trying to add a right-handed bat to their lineup. The team is reportedly looking to add another piece to its starting rotation. In his article, Nightengale states that the team wants the right-handed bat to be a third baseman.
Yankees Searching for Right-Handed Bat
The Yankees have gotten off to a strong start this season, sitting atop the American League East with a 30-21 record. Their offense has been amazing so far, leading the league in home runs, OBP, SLG, OPS, and walks. Much of that is thanks to Aaron Judge, who has gotten off to a blistering start, batting .397 and leading the league with 18 home runs. Paul Goldschmidt, Trent Grisham, and Ben Rice have all sustained their hot starts to the year, and Cody Bellinger is finally starting to heat up after a slow start.
Despite the strong start, their lineup still has some clear flaws. Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells have struggled at times so far, and the club lost Oswaldo Cabrera to an ankle injury. With Cabrera unlikely to return this year, adding another right-handed bat to play third base would be ideal.
In the offseason, the club was heavily linked to Nolan Arenado, but a trade never came together. Arenado has struggled early in the season, so the Yankees may be unwilling to take on his contract via a trade.
Other options could be Otto Lopez and Amed Rosario, as both the Marlins and Nationals are struggling and may be willing to move players for the right price before the deadline. With two months to go until the trade deadline, plenty of teams could end up falling out of contention and becoming sellers, so the Yankees may be inclined to continue playing Oswald Peraza, Jorbit Vivas, and DJ LeMahieu.
Potential Starting Pitching Help?
The Yankees’ starting rotation has rebounded from a rough start and sits in the top ten in most major pitching statistics. Max Fried has looked like one of the best pitchers in baseball, and Carlos Rodon is beginning to show he is worth the $27 million he’s being paid.
Although he is having a career-worst season, Sandy Alcantara still seems to be the biggest name on the starting pitching market. The former Cy Young award winner still has two years of control on his contract and could be an enticing piece for the Yankees.
If the Brewers continue to slide, Freddy Peralta could also be a real option for the Yankees. Peralta has been outstanding this year, pitching to a 2.55 ERA in 11 starts, and has a club option for $8 million next season.
Reigning A.L. Rookie of the Year Luis Gil is also expected to return in the coming weeks, and Marcus Stroman is currently recovering from left knee inflammation, so adding a starting pitcher may not be as big of a priority for the club as a right-handed bat is.
Main Photo Credits: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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