The Yankees have made it painfully clear they need more thunder in their lineup, especially at third base.
With the trade deadline fast approaching, Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suarez sits squarely on their radar.
His bat could be exactly what pushes the Yankees from contender to serious World Series threat down the stretch.
Suarez, now 33, is tearing the cover off the ball, slashing .249/.317/.556 with 29 homers, 75 RBIs, and a stellar 137 wRC+.
Suarez brings a big bat but questionable glove
There’s no denying Suarez’s power could transform the Yankees’ batting order.
Adding a righty slugger capable of parking baseballs deep into left at Yankee Stadium is a tempting prospect.
However, Suarez is far from a defensive wizard, with his glove grading out well below league average this season.
Still, New York seems willing to live with a few boots at third if he’s routinely launching balls into the seats.
Sometimes adding an extra weapon is like bolting a turbo engine onto a car with squeaky brakes — you just hope the thrill outweighs the flaws.
Yankees face tough prospect demands from Arizona
While Suarez would clearly help, he won’t come cheap.
Reports out of NJ.com suggest the Diamondbacks might ask for 24-year-old Yankees flamethrower Cam Schlittler in return.
The right-hander just made his MLB debut, tossing 5.1 innings with three earned runs and an impressive seven strikeouts.
It was a small sample, but Schlittler’s electric stuff showed why scouts rave about his upside.
His fastball hits 100 mph and averages close to 98, paired with a nasty slider averaging 92 — shades of Gerrit Cole’s velocity.
Schlittler’s future is too bright to trade for a rental
Schlittler isn’t just another intriguing arm.
He profiles as a potential top-of-the-rotation anchor if he harnesses his command, which remains a work in progress.
That’s the kind of talent you bet on for years to come, not something you casually ship out for a rental like Suarez.
While the Yankees will inevitably have to part with real value to land a bat of Suarez’s caliber, drawing the line at Schlittler makes sense.
Elite velocity and a four-pitch mix like his are too rare to give away for an expiring contract.
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Yankees might still land Suarez without their best arm
In the end, general manager Brian Cashman could still pull off a deal for Suarez without mortgaging the absolute top of the farm.
The Diamondbacks will surely listen to other offers, but the Yankees can mix second-tier prospects to stay competitive.
If Suarez ends up in pinstripes, his power could spark the kind of late-season charge fans have been dreaming about.
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