The New York Yankees need starting pitching support badly, and teams willing to deal know that. The Bombers have little leverage in the realm of the rumor mill, but several valuable players are on the trading block ahead of the July 31 deadline.
With Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman off the table, it leaves the Yanks with one less option. Indians ace Trevor Bauer and Giants’ Madison Bumgarner are two quality pitchers general manager Brian Cashman could be eyeing.
However, both teams will want significant value in a potential deal — starting level players and prospects would likely be included. The Yankees are only willing to deal-specific players, though. Reports of Clint Frazier and Miguel Andujar being available have plastered the headlines lately.
The Yankees have to be willing to give up young players going into their prime if they want to bring in starting-caliber pitchers that can help the team reach the World Series. Overpaying is the issue, considering teams have inquired about second baseman Gleyber Torres, one of the off-limits players for the Yanks.
Teams, trying to take advantage of Yankees’ SP need, have asked for Gleyber Torres. Not shockingly, he seems to be off limits. NYY sees possible trade chips as Garcia (but probably only for Noah), Frazier, Andujar plus others at lower levels.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 29, 2019
Frazier and Andujar should provide plenty of sway for teams looking to bolster their offensive production. Both are above average hitters with questionable gloves in the field. With Torres unavailable, the Bombers will have to settle for whoever they can get with only two days left to strike a deal.
The other player that is off-limits is minor-league pitcher Deivi Garcia. The 21-year-old phenom has been lighting it up in the minors and could make a big-league appearance later on in the season. His presence at the top minor league team and an impressive array of pitches make him too valuable to trade at this point.
Sacrificing the future in an attempt to benefit the presence is not always the best idea. Keeping both Torres and Garcia is the ideal scenario while also picking up a quality pitcher. We can assume the Yanks are shopping Frazier behind the scenes, a player that has fallen below Mike Tauchman this season due to his inability to play the outfield at an average level.