Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday that he expects the team to be active at the trade deadline as the team looks to upgrade its rotation, bullpen and infield ahead of the second half of the season.
As the Yankees are expected to be buyers, one team potentially looking to sell at the deadline would make an excellent trade partner for New York. Multiple MLB insiders, including ESPN's Jeff Passan, MLB Network's Jon Morosi and MLB.com's Bryan Hoch have linked the Yankees with a potential swoop for a pair of Arizona Diamondbacks standouts.
Passan wrote Thursday that he considers third baseman Eugenio Suarez to be the "main target" for the organization and noted that the team could look to solve two of its needs by also attempting to trade for starting pitcher Zac Gallen, or even Merrill Kelly.
Those thoughts were echoed by Morosi on Thursday's episode of MLB Central, when he called Gallen a "really strong fit" with the Yankees. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch said all three D-Backs players would "make sense" for New York to pursue, too.
Suarez, 33, has a .883 OPS with 29 home runs (tied fourth in MLB) and 75 RBIs (tied for fifth in MLB). Gallen, 29, has struggled a bit this year with a 5.15 ERA, but has a great track record and has only had an ERA over 3.65 in one other season of his career. Kelly, 36, has a 3.41 ERA across 19 starts with 107 strikeouts in 111 innings.
All three are on expiring contracts, and with Arizona sitting at 46–47 in a crowded National League, they may look to recoup some value for the veterans at the deadline. And if they're selling, expect the Yankees to be among the teams looking to buy.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Multiple Insiders Link Yankees to Trio of Diamondbacks Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline.
