With the New York Yankees pressing ever-so hard to acquire a true pitching ace, multiple players have been thrown into the mix for a potential blockbuster trade that would send Mets star pitcher Noah Syndergaard across town to Yankee stadium.
The Yankees have reportedly considered including third-baseman Miguel Andujar in the potential deal, while the Mets would acquire J.T. Realmuto from the Miami Marlins to fill their hole at catcher. The entire premise behind Andujar being up for sale would be that his replacement just might be slugger Manny Machado.
Machado put up incredible numbers in 2018. He recorded 709 plate appearances with the Orioles and Dodgers this past year, racking up 188 hits and 37 home-runs, while striking out only 104 times earning himself a .297 batting average. There’s no question that he would be an upgrade over the young Andujar at third-base, but the question remains: Would you prefer to trade away a young, developing talent in lieu of bringing on an emotional player that has had issues in the past? His talents are unquestionable but his presence has been negative at times. But, there’s reason to believe playing in Pinstripes on a power-house team might change his attitude rather quickly.
The New York Yankees could realistically grab Noah Syndergaard and Manny Machado:
If the Yanks decide to give the green light to the Mets on Andujar, they could have a stellar pitching rotation with Syndergaard, Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, and James Paxton. Of course we can’t count out the ever-effective CC Sabathia.
What makes Noah Syndergaard so enticing?
The Yankees wouldn’t just be adding an ace to their rotation, they would be adding one of the hardest throwing pitchers in the game. He boasts an ERA+ of 132 and a K/BB ratio of 4.94 throughout four seasons. Syndergaard has suffered through multiple injuries which have derailed him at times, but when healthy he’s devastating to opposing hitters. In three of his four seasons the current Met has topped 150 innings, which bodes well for a Yankees team in need of a player that will tough out the pain and perform.
The bottom line, the Yankees might be wise to let Andujar go if they can secure both Machado and Noah, otherwise, I would keep the young talent and walk away.