Yankees Named Top Landing Spot for Rival's $120 Million Star

Getty

The New York Yankees are expected to make some additions at the upcoming MLB trade deadline, and one report suggests they could take a big swing at a rival team’s star player.

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan identified the top 50 potential trade candidates in the MLB, putting Boston Red Sox star Alex Bregman at the top of the list. While the pair only gave a 10% odds that the Sox will deal Bregman, they picked something even more unlikely — the Yankees as the potential trade partner.

Yankees Could Score Big With Red Sox Trade

The report noted that Bregman is playing some of the best baseball of his career, though his $120 million contract could make him a difficult sell for the Red Sox.

“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,” the report noted. “Most of his underlying power indicators (barrel rate, maximum exit velo, average launch angle and hard hit rate) are at career highs.”

The report added that Bregman has the chance to opt into another two years at $40 million annually, which could make him an even more expensive target.

If Bregman does end up on the trade block, the Yankees could have some stiff competition to land him. McDaniel and Passan also identified the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, and New York Mets as other “best fits” for Bregman.

The Yankees could also choose to address their pitching staff, which suffered a major blow when star Gerrit Cole underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery this spring. The Yankees do have reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil coming back soon, which would give their rotation a boost without having to hit the trade market.

Yankees Could Opt for Quiet Trade Deadline

Though the Yankees have been linked to a number of star players ahead of the trade deadline, The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner suggested another possibility. He noted that the AL East-leading Yankees would face an expensive proposition in adding to their roster, which could lead them to shy away from any big deals.

“Brace yourself for the possibility that this trade deadline might be a dud,” Kirschner wrote. “There are too many teams still in the mix. Maybe that changes in a month, but in the expanded playoffs era, we’ve seen organizations would rather hold or buy than sell. Sneak into the playoffs, and who knows what happens.”

Kirschner suggested the Yankees could look for some other targets if they do decide to take an aggressive approach, including Eugenio Suarez of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“One issue with Suárez is many teams with better prospects will likely be interested in him,” Kirschner wrote. “Do the Yankees have enough to land what could be the best player available?”

The Yankees could look to other options, including Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon, Kirschner added.

“He kind of fits the Yankee mold,” he wrote. “He hits the ball extremely hard, is a good defender, and would frustrate the hell out of the fan base because he strikes out a lot.”

Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty