The New York Yankees need a solution at third base before the upcoming MLB Trade Deadline, and the answer could come from their biggest rivals: the Boston Red Sox.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan suggest that the Red Sox might just deal infielder Alex Bregman to the Pinstripes, where he’d be a great fit.
“Bregman has been an elite big league hitter since he entered the league in 2016 but has leaned more into power this year, with his highest isolated power since 2019,” they wrote. “Most of his underlying power indicators (barrel rate, maximum exit velo, average launch angle and hard hit rate) are at career highs. His $40 million salary — and the chance to opt into two more years at $40 million annually — significantly shortens the list of teams that would take on his deal.”
The Yankees are known as buyers before the trade deadline, so it’s not unlikely they would pay a huge price for Bregman, who McDaniel and Passan rank as the most valuable trade asset in the league. However, McDaniel and Passan also put the likelihood of Boston parting with him at just 10 percent.
It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility, though. The Red Sox seem to be selling and preparing for a rebuild. They sent their star slugger, Rafael Devers, to the San Francisco Giants earlier this month in exchange for two bullpen pitchers and two prospects. However, relations between Devers and the team — including, ironically, a dispute when the club added Bregman — appear to have played a huge role in the trade.
For now, Bregman is on Boston’s injured list with a quad strain. He’s slashing .299/ .385/ .553 on the season, with an expectation that he’ll return before the All-Star break this month.
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