The New York Yankees need to add one or two high-leverage arms to the backend of their bullpen in order to take some of the pressure off of Luke Weaver and Devin Williams.
The Bronx Bombers don’t need a superstar closer in this instance, but if one’s available, why not take a shot at acquiring him?
Russell Dorsey of Yahoo Sports recently suggested the Yankees could be a landing spot in a potential trade for Cleveland Guardians superstar closer Emmanuel Clase.
“Last season, there wasn’t a better reliever in baseball than Emmanuel Clase. He was so good that he finished third in AL Cy Young voting, a sign of his sheer dominance during the regular season,” Dorsey wrote. “But Clase struggled in last year’s postseason, and thus far, those struggles have carried into 2025. The three-time All-Star is 4-1 with a 3.82 ERA in 32 appearances this season.
“That said, Clase appears to be putting his struggles behind him. Over his past 15 outings, he has a 1.88 ERA with seven saves and has looked more like the two-time AL Reliever of the Year. If Clase’s struggles are indeed in the past, this could be the perfect time for a contender to woo the Guardians into trading their longtime closer.”
The idea that the Guardians could trade Clase seems a bit far-fetched, though it’s not impossible. Clase has multiple more years of team control on his contract at a very affordable price.
But the Yankees aren’t the most likely suitor, simply because their farm system doesn’t have the depth to comfortably trade from in this instance.
A Clase trade would likely cost an incredible prospect haul. Unless the Bronx Bombers are willing to cut ties with a top prospect like George Lombard Jr. or a big leaguer, this deal isn’t too likely.
But, it’s still possible if the Yankees’ front office gets ultra-aggressive. Adding Clase would give the team the best bullpen in the league for the next few seasons.
