After 65 games this season, the New York Yankees led the MLB with a 45-20 record, indicating a good likelihood of breaking the team’s 14-year drought without an AL championship.
As the July 30 trade deadline approaches, the front office is under pressure to make any necessary changes to maintain the Yankees’ momentum, with FOX Sports MLB analyst Deesha Thosar predicting that retooling the right infield will be a priority.
“The right side of the Yankees’ infield could be at risk ahead of the July 30 trade deadline if they don’t step up offensively,” said Thosar on June 7. “Anthony Rizzo disappointed with a career-low OPS in the final year of his Yankees contract…” Gleyber Torres had a better May than he did April, and he’s been serviceable since recovering from that early-season swoon, but he still has an 81 OPS+ and has been the subject of trade rumours throughout his Yankees career.
Both Rizzo and Torres are in the final year of their contracts in New York, so it may make sense to trade at least one of the infielders now, presuming the Yankees do not intend to re-sign them at the end of the season.
Torres is very guaranteed to be included in a trade package if the Yankees want an infield improvement, especially given the team’s previous attempts to sell him. Rizzo, on the other hand, is unlikely to leave New York, even if his role changes.
Thosar described Rizzo as a valuable member of the Yankees’ clubhouse. So I can envision a situation in which he stays on the team for reasons other than his batting average.”
Few Sellers at the Trade Deadline Could Limit Available Targets.
On June 7, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote that “there could be precious few sellers” before this year’s trade deadline, pointing out that 24 of 30 MLB teams are within three games of a playoff spot. For contending clubs trying to retool before the postseason, this may severely limit their options.
The Yankees’ offence is fierce, with Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, but the middle of the lineup is a weak spot.
It is still early in the season, but there is no disputing that Aaron Judge and Juan Soto have created a fearsome combo for the Yankees. Indeed, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal speculated on June 7 that the two sluggers could be “the best combination of a right- and left-handed hitter in the history of the game.”
As of June 7, Judge had a.294/.429/.662 batting line, leading MLB in OPS (1.091), home runs (21), and on-base percentage (.429), while ranking second in doubles (20) and third in RBIs (55). In his debut season with the Yankees, Soto ranks second in MLB in on-base percentage (.424), fourth in batting average (.318), fourth in RBIs (53), and fifth in home homers (17).
Along with Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Volpe, who are batting.234 and.286 respectively, it’s easy to see why the Yankees’ top lineup is being discussed, as well as why the team’s other hitters have such high expectations.
Rizzo and Torres are not having horrible seasons — both are hitting above.225 with 7 and 5 home runs, respectively — but they are not playing to the level anticipated of them entering the season. With all eyes on the Yankees re-establishing themselves as the greatest club in the AL, any player producing below their career best is likely to be looked at, and the opportunity to upgrade at the trade deadline should not be overlooked.
However, shaking up an otherwise highly powerful lineup is risky.
“There is an argument to be made that the Yankees lineup, one of the best units in the majors, doesn’t need retooling in case it messes up their good flow,” Thosar wrote on the seventh of July. “Rizzo and Torres… have been able to hide behind the behemoth that is Judge/Soto/Stanton, but if there’s a deal that makes sense to upgrade the right side of the infield, the Yankees should take it.”
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