The New York Yankees are riding a fine line as we near the trade deadline. While the team has checked in on a number of fronts, the front office is still trying to decide exactly what they want to do at the deadline.
Should the Yankees go big and be buyers? The team certainly has the prospect capital and pieces to make some big moves happen. We will explore a potential blockbuster trade with the Royals in this article.
The Yankees could also stand pat. This is what we saw Brian Cashman do in 2019 despite the fact that the Yankees were a World Series contender. Cashman felt that the prices were too high and with Severino and Betances returning from injury at the time, he figured it was best to stand pat.
The Yankees have a number of players out right now so we might hear that same speech. The Bombers could also decide to sell at the deadline. Now, I don’t think they would sell in the same way that the Cubs will.
There will be no depletion of the roster, but you could see them unload a couple of pieces. Now, I believe they are more likely to stand pat and do nothing if I’m being honest. However, let’s say they go big and decide to buy. Well, the Kansas City Royals have a few pieces of interest.
Blockbuster Concept between the Yankees and Royals
I was scrolling through the Trade Simulator earlier to see what potential deals fans would like to see the Yankees make. I came across one deal that might surprise you at first, but makes a lot of sense when you think about it.
Yankees Acquire: Whit Merrifield, Andrew Benintendi, and Josh Staumont
Royals Acquire: Gleyber Torres, Miguel Andujar, and Michael King
Yes, the trade involves the Yankees dumping Gleyber Torres which might surprise some, but it really shouldn’t. On the simulator, this trade worked out to be a completely even trade between the two clubs.
Why the Royals would say yes?
The Royals are a last place team currently. While they had aspirations to potentially be a 500 club this year, it hasn’t come together and the team has drastically underperformed all expectations.
With that, there’s a lot of attention surrounding the Royals and whether they’d be sellers. The Yankees are a team that lines up with them. Whit Merrifield is a hot name on the trade market, but Dayton Moore has stated on numerous occasions that he will not part with Merrifield unless he’s blown away.
Moore has been hesitant to sell in the past, but he could do it for the right package, and the package proposed would be hard to turn down. Moore wants Major Leaguers, and he could get three here. The Royals could put Gleyber Torres back at second base and plan on a future with him and Bobby Witt Jr up the middle.
Getting Miguel Andujar‘s bat and Michael King‘s versatility would supplement the other pieces lost. The Royals like Andrew Benintendi, but they would part with him if it meant acquiring a package that features a Gleyber Torres.
Why the Yankees would say yes?
Why on Earth would the Yankees trade Gleyber Torres in a package like this? Well, the short answer is the fact that he’s not a shortstop. Yes, the defense has improved this year, but the offense has been a nightmare. Simply put, Torres is not the same player when he’s called to play short.
Gio Urshela has proved he can handle shortstop for the Yankees this season if needed. The Bombers also have an extremely healthy crop of young shortstops storming through the minor leagues right now. On top of that, the star studded shortstop free agent class this year could have Cashman thinking about a new shortstop on the open market.
Merrifield could slot in at second or in centerfield given the need for the day. Whit Merrifield has been amongst the leagues best hitters over the last few years. He doesn’t strike out a lot and he knows how to put the ball in play. Not too mention the fact that his speed would be a big boost for the Yankees. His contract is also cheap and you’d have him for next season as well.
Andrew Benintendi is a proven player in the AL East. He would allow the Yankees to get a left handed bat that they desperately need and he could be the starting left fielder moving forward for the next couple of seasons.
The Yankees have liked Michael King’s versatility, but they might be better suited with Josh Staumont. Staumont has electric stuff and would play nicely in the bullpen alongside Jonathan Loaisiga and Chad Green moving forward.
Odds of a deal like this?
While the trade simulator says it’s a good deal and both sides would have their reasons, the odds the Yankees and Royals make this move are very low. What’s crazy is I think the Royals might turn this down before the Yankees would.
From talking to folks in Kansas City, Dayton Moore really does not want to sell off his players. Even if the Yankees offered someone like Gleyber Torres, he might not budge. Meanwhile, Brian Cashman loves Gleyber Torres and any mention of Torres in trades might be a non-starter in the first place.
At this time of the year, it’s fun to ponder these potential trades. This would certainly be a wild one that would really shake up both teams, but it’s one that would theoretically work for both sides.
Sound Off: If you were the GM of the Yankees and were offered this deal, would you say yes?