Yankees Land Cardinals' Former KBO MVP in Trade Proposal

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Brian Cashman on the phone

The New York Yankees are one of the best teams in Major League Baseball this season, but they may need to be aggressive at the trade deadline to help them achieve their ultimate goal of winning a World Series title.

The Yankees’ glaring needs are in the starting rotation and the infield, specifically either second or third base.

To add depth to the rotation, the Yankees may need to look outside the American League and search for a suitable trade partner in the National League. Pitchers with expiring contracts are always a hot commodity at each year’s trade deadline.

Why a Trade With the St. Louis Cardinals Makes Sense

The St. Louis Cardinals are not necessarily a team on the decline. At 36-34, they are six games back of the Chicago Cubs for first place in the NL Central, but their division and Wild Card hopes are nowhere near dead. Way too many games are remaining in the season for the Cardinals’ front office to sell pieces.

However, FanSided’s Zach Pressnell sees St. Louis as a team in need of a bat and believes they may move one of their starters in return. Pressnell identified right-hander Erick Fedde as a player likely to be dealt at the deadline, and sees the New York Yankees as an ideal fit.

“The Yankees could be the perfect landing spot for Fedde for a few reasons. The Bronx Bombers need a consistent starter, and Fedde would give them that for an affordable prospect return,” Pressnell wrote Wednesday. “Fedde’s contract expires at the end of the season so that it wouldn’t tie the Yankees into a long-term situation.”

In 2025, Fedde, the 2023 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) Most Valuable Player, is 3-6 with a 3.65 ERA, 1.278 WHIP, and averages 5.8 strikeouts per nine innings in 14 starts. If the Yankees were to acquire the 32-year-old, it’s not probable he’d replace veteran Clarke Schmidt or rising youngster Will Warren. Instead, the Yankees would likely prefer to move lefty Ryan Yarbrough back to the bullpen and have Fedde be their fifth starter.

Yankees Have Potentially Valuable MLB Players in Minors

While Fedde’s return package should not be steep, the Cardinals ought to try to acquire a player or two from the Yankees’ farm system that is near ready for major league at-bats.

“In a deal for Fedde, the Cardinals would likely look to target the same power-hitting outfielder as the Reds. Adding [Everson] Pereira would be a massive addition for St. Louis’ farm system,” wrote Pressnell. “It would give the Cardinals another powerful option besides Jordan Walker in the outfield.”

The New York Yankees’ outfield is logjammed with Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Jasson Dominguez, and Trent Grisham, leaving New York with no option but to keep Pereira stashed at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

At 24 and with 27 games of MLB experience with the Yankees in 2023, Pereira is an outfielder ready for an opportunity with another organization. He has an .828 OPS with 10 home runs and a .478 slugging percentage in 42 games at Triple-A this year and could provide more stability than Jordan Walker, who owns a poor .583 OPS and -0.5 WAR in 47 games with the Cardinals before landing on the 10-day injured list.

Conor Liguori is a sports journalist covering the MLB for Heavy Sports. Conor has covered professional baseball leagues like the KBO, NPB, CPBL, and the LBPRC in Puerto Rico. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Connecticut State University. More about Conor Liguori