The New York Yankees have dropped seven of their last ten games, but still remain one of baseball’s top teams, with a 54-32 record. However, manager Aaron Boone’s squad could benefit from a number of upgrades before the July 30 trade deadline. Could the Bombers lure infielder Luis Rengifo and reliever Carlos Estevez from the Los Angeles Angels to the Bronx?
On June 28, Chris Kirshner and Brendan Kuty of The Athletic put together six trade recommendations to help the Yankees fix weak spots on their roster. They also had former general manager Jim Bowden evaluate each potential transaction. Here’s what they believe is necessary to get those two from the Angels:
The Yankees obtain infielder Luis Rengifo and relief pitcher Carlos Estevez.
Angels acquire outfielder Everson Pereira and right-handed pitcher Ian Hamilton.
“I also like this trade concept for the Yankees because Rengifo is an undervalued player with an extra year of control, and Estévez would provide New York with closing security behind Holmes.” “However, this deal makes little sense for the Angels,” Bowden stated. “Pereira has tremendous power, but his hitting ability is unpredictable, and Hamilton will turn 30 next year. A rebuilding team, like the Angels, requires prospects rather than an experienced reliever with a 1.584 WHIP and 4.2 walks per nine innings. “I love it for the Yankees and hate it for the Angels.”
Acquiring Rengifo could be just what the Yankees need.
Even when the Yankees were on a run, there were rumours about improving the right side of the infield. Bowden highlighted it as a possibility while reviewing trade deadline needs for all 30 MLB teams in early June. “The Yankees’ right side of the infield has underperformed and if the production doesn’t improve, that will be the area of focus to upgrade via trades,” he told reporters.
This includes first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who is currently on the injured list, and second baseman Gleyber Torres. The 27-year-old had a.652 OPS in his first 341 plate appearances of the season. DJ LeMahieu, a veteran, is also battling at third base. He has a.497 OPS in 99 plate appearances.
Rengifo would provide the Yankees with a versatile infielder capable of hitting above-average. According to Baseball-Reference, he has spent the majority of his 2024 playing time at second and third base, but he has also played shortstop and in the outfield.
Rengifo’s OPS rose from.556 in 2021 to.724 in 2022 and.783 in 2023. His current OPS after 261 plate appearances is.810, due to a.317/.362/.449 line. Prior to the start of games on July 2, the highest batting average in baseball was.317.
Estevez would give New York a strong late-game bullpen duo.
In 2024, the Yankees have used 21 different relief pitchers. They have 1.5 fWAR as a squad heading into the July 2 games, which ranks 16th in baseball. Closer Clay Holmes has been the most productive. Through 34 innings, he has generated 1.0 fWAR. Adding Estevez to the Yankees’ bullpen would give Boone a formidable one-two punch at the end of games.
Estevez had a 3.00 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 27 strikeouts in 27 innings for the Angels in 2024. His current performance has been even more outstanding. The right-hander had a 4.76 ERA till the end of May before allowing no runs in June (10 innings pitched). Estevez has also saved 47 games since the beginning of 2023, giving him plenty of experience in high-pressure circumstances.
Unlike Rengifo, Estevez is in his second season of a two-year, $13.5 million contract. As a result, any team that gets him does so with the assumption that he would be a half-season rental before hitting free agency in November.
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