The New York Yankees were feeling good entering yesterday’s game against the Rays. The Bombers had won two games in a row and seemingly had snapped out of their funk. Confidence was growing and Gerrit Cole was on the mound looking to give the Yankees their third straight win.
However, the game didn’t go according to plan. Cole never seemed comfortable on the mound and he was getting squeezed the entire start. The calls were frustrating Aaron Boone so much that he was eventually thrown out of the game for barking at the home plate umpire.
Cole allowed five earned runs and the Yankees were spanked 9-2. Despite taking two games from the division leading Rays, it still doesn’t feel like the Yankees are where they need to be. They continue to struggle with a lot of the fundamentals and it’s becoming a major issue.
There was a lot of confidence in this club before the season started. While some Yankees fans will always have faith in their team, I believe the majority do not see this club as a serious World Series contender at this point. With that in mind, they need to make some upgrades.
Yankees Trade Targets
A couple of days ago, I posted an article talking about the Yankees potential interest in Rockies shortstop Trevor Story. Gleyber Torres has struggled defensively again this year and his power has completely disappeared.
I’ve said for a long time and I think most would agree that Torres is not a long-term solution at short. With that, perhaps the Yankees could go out and make a deal for Story. He would be an instant solution to some of their problems.
However, there is one major problem that Story wouldn’t fix. That problem is how atrocious the bombers have been from the left side of the plate. Entering today, the Yankees have a .573 OPS from the left side which is the worst in baseball. They need a left-handed bat to upgrade the lineup and there’s one it Pittsburg that would be the perfect fit.
Adam Frazier is a great trade fit for the #Yankees, as I mentioned on @MLBNetwork a short time ago. The Yankees have a .573 OPS among their left-handed hitters (worst in @MLB) and .618 OPS at 2B (28th among 30 clubs). Frazier could address both weaknesses. #MLBCentral
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) June 4, 2021
Could the Bombers acquire Adam Frazier?
In reality, there might not be a better fit on the trading block for the Yankees than Adam Frazier. The 29 year old is a good second baseman and he also plays all around the outfield. Frazier could slot in wherever the Yankees needed him to whether it be the infield or the outfield.
Most importantly, Frazier is hitting .333 this season. Frazier would be an instant upgrade and give the Yankees a real quality bat from the left side that they could put near the top of their lineup. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi was the first to link Frazier to the Yankees today.
Frazier would be under control for next season as well. Now, given how good he’s played this year, he wouldn’t be cheap to get on the market. However, he checks all the boxes in terms of what the bombers need right now. They need someone to make consistent contact, play defense wherever he’s needed, and hit well from the left side.
Adam Frazier is that guy. The Pirates and the Yankees do have trade history with one another and the GMs have a good relationship. It will ultimately come down to what the asking price is and what Cashman’s willing to give up. If Cashman is able to meet the price, I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see Adam Frazier in pinstripes by the deadline.