3 trade chips New York Yankees can use at the trade deadline
It is no surprise that the New York Yankees are currently the best team in Major League Baseball. They are quickly closing in on 60 wins on the year, when no other team is even close. They have a record of 58-21, which puts them first in the American League East, 14 games ahead of the second-placed Toronto Blue Jays.
The Yankees have one of the most complete teams in all of baseball, with most of the team performing above expectations. Aaron Judge, the team leader, is currently having a season for the history books and is on pace for 60+ home runs.
The rest of the lineup has been red-hot as well, leading the MLB in team home runs and placing third in team OPS. On the pitching side of things, the New York Yankees have been locked down. They currently have the second-lowest team ERA at 2.91, with every pitcher in their rotation throwing at an elite level.
There are only nine players in MLB with 20 or more home runs this season. Three of them are Yankees
No other team in MLB has more than one player with 20+ homers https://t.co/cxejPzGnG0
"There are only nine players in MLB with 20 or more home runs this season. Three of them are Yankees. No other team in MLB has more than one player with 20+ homers" - Talkin Yanks
As of now, the Yankees look unstoppable. However, no Major League Baseball team can be too good, and the Yankees have some small holes in their roster. If they want to be the most competitive team come the postseason, it would be best for them to fill these holes at the trade deadline.
The Yankees do have some valuable pieces to trade as well. They have a lot of prospects they could move to win now, along with some already established players who still have some value in them. Here are three players that the New York Yankees could use as pieces come the trade deadline.
#3 Joey Gallo
Now, it might be suprising to see Joey Gallo make this list, as he has been awful this season. So far, Gallo is batting just .162 and already has 87 strikeouts in only 65 games played. Usually, it is not the smartest to trade someone at their lowest point of value, but it has to be done in this case.
Joey Gallo has no hits in his last 20 at bats. #RepBX https://t.co/DmxwvAwYzQ
"Joey Gallo has no hits in his last 20 at bats." - Yankees Updates
Gallo is still only 28 years old, and will probably remain in the MLB for some time. He also has proven in seasons past that he can put up good numbers in a complete season. His raw power is enough to maybe get a trade partner, and he could be useful in a trade deadline deal.
#2 Trey Sweeney
Trey Sweeney was a first-round pick in last year's draft, and he has blossomed into one of the New York Yankees' top prospects. He primarily plays shortstop and is just 22 years old. He had a .932 OPS last year for the Yankees Single-A affiliate.
However, the Yankees already have two prospective shortstops in Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza, and it does not make sense for them to keep three. Sweeney would be a valuable asset in a deadline trade for an established MLB player.
#1 Hayden Wesneski
Hayden Wesneski is already in Triple-A and is expected to enter the big leagues by the end of this season. Drafted back in 2019, Wesneski has risen through the minor leagues quickly. He has proven that he could potentially give an MLB team innings by at the latest next season.
Hayden Wesneski posted his third win of the season last night.
5.0 IP // 7 H // 3 R // 1 BB // 9 K // 4.11 ERA https://t.co/c1nePRiSk0
"Hayden Wesneski posted his third win of the season last night. 5.0 IP // 7 H // 3 R // 1 BB // 9 K // 4.11 ERA" - SWB RailRiders
This year, however, the New York Yankees have a stacked rotation. As mentioned before, the Yanks have the second-lowest team ERA, and every pitcher in the rotation is an experienced veteran. Wesneski simply just does not fit on the Yankees at this moment, yet he is super valuble from a trading standpoint.