Yankees MLB Trade Rumors: 5 Trade Options for the Yankees at the Trade Deadline

Yankees MLB Trade Rumors: 5 Trade Options for the Yankees at the Trade Deadline

The August 2nd MLB trade deadline is quickly approaching, so let’s dive into what the Yankees should address and look at a few potential players that could find their way to the Bronx for the final 65-ish games. 

I’d say the Bombers are just about set when it comes to the offense as they sit atop the league rankings in team OPS (.777), home runs (165), and runs scored (520). In my opinion, if New York was to make any additions to the lineup, it will likely come in the outfield. Here are two outfield names that have been coming up frequently in trade discussions. 

5 Trade Options for the Yankees at the Trade Deadline

1. Andrew Benintendi (OF, Kansas City)

The Royals outfielder is putting together a great season and is coming off of his first career All-Star Game appearance. He’s slashing .321/.389/.788 with three home runs and 39 RBIs.

His left-handed bat would add some diversity to the lineup and he’d be a useful option in left field or as a pinch-hitter late in games. Benintendi will be a free agent after the 2022 campaign, so he’d be in pinstripes for just the stretch run this year. 

2. Ian Happ (OF, Chicago)

Similar to Benintendi, Ian Happ is coming off of the first All-Star Game nod in his career. The switch-hitter usually finds himself in the outfield at this point in his career, but he’s played every position aside from shortstop and catcher in his four-year career. Happ’s slashing .282/.366/.446 this season with nine long balls and 46 RBIs. 

The biggest operation at this point for New York should be to bolster their pitching staff. Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cotres are a solid one-two punch, but the Yankees could use another front-end starter if they’re serious about making a run at the World Series this year. Additionally, with season ending injuries to Chad Green and Michael King and underwhelming seasons from Aroldis Chapman and Jonathan Loasiga, New York should lock down at least one more bullpen arm.

3. Luis Castillo (SP, Cincinnati)

The 24-year-old Reds hurler is the marquee name amongst starting pitchers as we near the trade deadline. Castillo is pitching to the tune of a 2.77 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over 13 starts this season. He boasts a K/9 rate of 9.5 and allows just 0.6 home runs per nine innings. Castillo is a two-time All-Star and if he comes to New York, he’ll be with the Yankees through the 2023 season. 

4. David Bednar (RP, Pittsburgh)

The right-handed closer earned the All-Star nod this season for the Pirates and it’s well deserving. He’s pitched in 39 games for Pittsburgh this season and gone 17/21 in save opportunities. Bednar has posted a 2.76 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 2022 and opponents are hitting just .212 against him.

5. Daniel Bard (RP, Colorado)

The other attractive option to sure up the bullpen would be acquiring the Rockies closer, Daniel Bard. Bard is fifth in saves this season with 21 and he’s blown just two save opportunities. Bard is a 37-year-old right-hander with a 1.91 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over 37 outings. 

You can’t go wrong with either of these relievers and they’ve each had extremely productive seasons relative to their underwhelming organizations.

Bonus Trade Option: Juan Soto (OF, Washington)

I can’t in good faith have this piece published without weighing in on the Juan Soto rumors. First and foremost, it’s going to take a significant haul to secure Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals. But it will be well worth it as you’d have two-plus years of club control of Soto. 

The 23-year-old outfielder is already a World Series champion and boasts a career slash line of .291/.426/.539. While he’s just batting .245 this year, he leads the league with 83 walks. If you insert him in a lineup surrounded by Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Anthony Rizzo, there’s no pitching around him. He’s going to do damage. Personally, I feel like a deal of this magnitude may be too complex to complete by the deadline. I lean towards it being done at the 2022 winter meetings. However, if there’s a team with the resources to go and get Juan Soto, I’d put the Yankees near the top of the list.

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