The New York Yankees are quickly running out of time to land one of the top free agents on the market, especially at the first base position where they have been contemplating maneuver for months.
With the lockout coming to an end this past week, the Yankees were quickly connected to Freddie Freeman, formally of the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta has already made a move to replace him, though, trading for Matt Olson of the Oakland Athletics in a blockbuster deal.
The Yankees were one of the top potential suitors for Olson before Atlanta swooped in and made a move, and the Bombers may regret not being more aggressive in their pursuit.
BREAKING: Atlanta and Oakland are in agreement on a trade that will send star first baseman Matt Olson to the Braves, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 14, 2022
Olson is a phenomenal hitter who posted a .271 average with 39 homers and 111 RBIs last season. The Athletics were reportedly asking for too much from the Yankees, but Olson could’ve smashed 40+ homers in Yankee stadium with a short right porch. At just 27 years old, he’s only preparing to hit free agency in 2024, so the Braves will have two years of control over him.
In the meantime, general manager Brian Cashman has only two primary options left on the market, Freeman, who is expected to sign with a West Coast team, and Anthony Rizzo, whose contract just expired.
Rizzo might end up being their best option, hitting. 249 last season of the Yankees after the trade deadline. At the very least, the former Chicago cubs should be their backup plan in case Freeman slips away.
As we’ve seen, the Yankees can make moves in the blink of an eye, as displayed by the most recent trade with your Minnesota Twins. So I wouldn’t completely rule them out from a big acquisition just yet.