The New York Yankees are being forced into trading for a starter, but who will it be?
The New York Yankees are in dire need of starting pitching support, after allowing the Boston Red Sox to rack up 19 runs in one game and seven in the first inning on Thursday night.
If that wasn’t an indication of the help they need, I don’t know what could convince BM Brian Cashman to make a move. However, he’s known for his deadline deals, so I wouldn’t be surprised if a pitcher like Noah Syndergaard took his talents across the Queensboro Bridge and over to the Bronx on July 31.
Trading for “Thor” wouldn’t be cheap, though, as he still has two years of team control on his contract and is one of the better pitchers in baseball when confident. This season, he’s been a bit inconsistent, earning an ERA of 4.33, the highest in his five-year career. This could just be an outlier or the fact that the Mets continue to lose games, which ultimately hurts the confidence of the players on the team.
ESPN was told from a source that the Mets are willing to trade the hard-throwing righty:
“It’s beyond listening,” said one. “They want to move him.”
The Yankees would have to be willing to part with a special talent if they want Noah, somebody like their #4 ranked prospect Deivi Garcia would be in the discussion. While I wouldn’t be willing to part ways with such a talented up-and-coming pitcher, the Yankees ‘need’ the support if they truly want to keep their World Series hopes alive.
Garcia has been a menace on the mound this season, reaching the top team in the farm system, the youngest to do so for the Yankees this year. He currently has a 3.17 ERA across the A-ball teams. Allowing just three homers over 73.6 innings pitched.
It’s a difficult decision to make if you’re the Yankees, simply because of his potential, but also the fact that a quality starter is 100% needed at this point in the season. I believe Clint Frazier will be the active trade bait over Garcia, who’s less valuable at this point considering the depth the Yanks have in the outfield with Mike Tauchman emerging.
While the Yankees have been cautious with bringing him up too early, their hand may be forced later on in the year. For now, they have to find a way to lock in a starter without having to trade him away.