The New York Yankees are expected to be some of the more aggressive buyers at this year’s trade deadline, and one of the teams they’re going to call frequently will be the Arizona Diamondbacks.
After winning the pennant in 2023, the Diamondbacks missed the postseason by a hair in 2024, but the wheels have come off due to a slew of pitching injuries.
Former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes alongside stud relievers A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez all tore their UCLs, and at the start of the season they lost Jordan Montgomery to the same injury.
If they choose to sell, the Yankees will be asking about a slew of players, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that they’d “love” to land 3B Eugenio Suarez alongside one of Zac Gallen or Merrill Kelly.
With New York in the midst of a grotesque funk, they’ll need to make some big moves to keep themselves from spiraling out of the postseason, and they could swing big with the Diamondbacks as a trade partner.
The Yankees Could Swing a Blockbuster Trade With the Diamondbacks
Eugenio Suarez had another two-homer performance last night, raising his season OPS to .911 as he has 33 home runs, the most for any National League hitter.
His 3.1 fWAR is tied for second among third basemen, and he leads the position in wRC+ (147) and SLG% (.585) as well, being one of the premiere right-handed sluggers in the game.
The Yankees currently have Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas at third base, and both have struggled mightily offensively despite playing sound defense at the hot corner.
New York cannot stomach their sub-.500 OPS in the lineup despite the depth around them, and Suarez would immediately provide this offense an insane boost that makes them the best unit in the sport.
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Brian Cashman also mentioned pitching as a massive issue, and it’s not crazy to suggest that someone like Merrill Kelly is more important to the Yankees than even Eugenio Suarez.
Kelly has a 3.34 ERA and 3.48 FIP across 20 starts, striking out 24.4% of batters faced with a strong 43.5% groundball rate as well.
A veteran with a crafty arsenal who can throw up to six different pitches, he would immediately improve a rotation that has been decimated with injuries.
Zac Gallen would be a riskier buy, his 22.2% K% and 5.40 ERA represent career-worst marks for the right-hander, who doesn’t have the stuff he had in previous seasons.
His 90 Stuff+ is by far the worst mark of his career as well, and the Yankees would gambling on an adjustment mid-season for a rental who could leave this winter.
With Arizona looking for young arms, the Yankees could be a good match as trade partners due to their wide array of pitchers in the farm system.
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