Trade Deadline Preview: The New York Yankees

Would hate trading Buxton or Berrios to the Yankees. 

Never underestimate how desperate the Yankee's need is to WIN.  That's what they do.  It's expected of them.  Let's make it a blockbuster:

Yankee's get:  Buxton 25.3   Berrios  40.8  Cavaco  5.7  Pineda 1.0  Smeltzer 2.8 =  75.60

Twins get:  Jasson Dominguez 38.0  OF  D. Garcia RHP  14.8  Clint Frazier 1.8  Vargas  SS  14.5  Luis Gil RHP 8.0  77.1

Remember:  Never underestimate the Yankee's need to WIN and WIN NOW.  

The Yankees need rotation help.  NOW.  Berrios & Pindea are an instant infusion of starting pitching talent.  And their OF is in tatters.  Especially CF.  Buxton gives them MVP caliber talent at that position.  THAT's why you ask for Dominguez...and GET HIM.  You add Frazier as a SH OF'er to fill in for now and see if he can regain his value back.  You add a nice, young RH SP to your rotation and get a solid SS prospect back who is not even NY's TOP rated SS (That would be Oswaldo Peraza 23.6).  Yankee fans and the New York media would be all over the Yanks FO if they turned down a trade like this.  And I think you could get even a little bit more from NY if you had multiple suiters (Dodgers, Padres, Braves etc...)

With one exception, the Yankees would be particularly dumb to be sellers or buyers at this point.  They are back too far with too many teams to leapfrog.   They have a chance, so they shouldn’t sell but the chance isn’t big enough to dump any elite prospects.  However, making a trade for Buxton makes sense shirt-term and long-term.  They would help themselves this year snd be in a better position to sign a longterm superstar in center field (as long as Buxton’s health issues are just a series of weird flukes).   However, if Buxton’s durability problems persist or even cut his career short, they are one of the few teams that can afford to eat that longterm contract, shrug it off and sign more players.  

Interesting article in today's Strib about Berrios.  After reading the headline and beginning, where it seemed going to free agency was a done deal, it went on to say he was open to discussing a deal...but it would have to be at what is perceived as market rate.  But if the Twins were to trade him to the Yankees, no one could be off limits in the return.  So if you want to talk about Jose, Dominguez must be part of the package.  If not, hang up the phone.

As for Buxton, got a feeling he is going to be signing a long term contract with the Twins sometime this week.  So that leaves Pineda returning to NY as the lone option.   

If Berrios was to go to Yankees, only way I would do it would be to get 3 players in return at a minimum.  Give me any 2 of the 4 pitchers that they have on their 40 Man - Abreu, Garcia, Gil and Gomez.  The 3rd player would be 40 Man player in minor league SS - Peraza.  That has to be the starting point for me.  Don't want a guy with arm issues so obviously you have to be a little gun shy on that front in any trade.  Berrios on Yankees wouldn't be their ace of the staff so the haul in return might not be worth it. 

Any trade for Berrios needs to be Dominguez plus a guy like Garcia. BTV lists that trade as a moderate overpay on the Yankees part but any Berrios deal needs to be an overpay. 

The Twins might be better off finding a pitching prospect to headline any deal for Berrios. The Yankees might not be the best fit here.

I think the best fit for the Yankees would be Max Kepler. They need a left handed bat more than anything, Kepler and the short porch in right would be great. They also would stay under the luxury tax, which is their biggest concern right now.