While the New York Yankees are keen on adding pitching to their team and bolstering the rotation with quality, teams are calling on one of their youth leaders, and they’re demanding that he be involved if any trade is to happen.
Is New York Yankees’ Miguel Andujar on the trading block?
From my understanding, second-year pro Miguel Andujar isn’t technically on the trading block, but several teams have come calling in regard to the third-baseman. Andujar has struggled defensively, recording 15 errors in 2018, but has been stellar at the plate.
He hit .297 over 573 at-bats — a very impressive number that has risen some eyebrows across the league. Teams like the Mets, Marlins, and Padres have all publicly been enticed by the talents of the young infielder.
Why trading Miguel Andujar would make sense:
If the Yankees can land star free agent Manny Machado, letting Andujar go becomes that much easier. They can easily replace their current third-baseman with a two-time Gold Glove winner. Additionally, Machado could theoretically fill in at short-stop until Didi Gregorius returns from Tommy John surgery.
Alternatively, the Yankees could place Machado ans short and keep Andujar at third for the time being. The Padres seem be an enticing trade partner, as reports have stated that they could be willing to part with top prospect Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tatis is a shortstop with quality hitting abilities but also stellar defensive skills. He’s a well-rounded player at just 19 years-old, soon to be 20. My problem with this would be trading an up-and-coming player with success in the majors, for an athlete that hasn’t competed at the professional level yet.
Nonetheless, I would prefer a pitching option to begin with. There is but a slim chance this rumor even sees the light of day, but I would expect GM Brian Cashman to begin prowling the pitching market with Andujar as his primary piece if he’s confident that Manny Machado will be in Pinstripes next season.