SNY’s Andy Martino stated that the Tampa Bay Rays have scouts at the New York Yankees’ Single-A affiliate in Tampa. With the trade deadline approaching, both the Rays and Yankees are expected to be active before the July 30th deadline, yet they may find themselves on opposing ends of the spectrum. While Brian Cashman will be looking for enhancements, Erik Neander may decide to sell off some crucial pieces to help build up their developing farm system.
According to Martino, the Rays are considering offers for Isaac Paredes, the Rays’ All-Star representative this season, raising the possibility of a rare in-division blockbuster by the Yankees.
Isaac Paredes could be the Yankees’ top target at the deadline.
Isaac Paredes had another strong season, being nominated to the AL All-Star squad as the Tampa Bay Rays’ representative, hitting 15 home runs in 91 games and finishing with a 138 wRC+. The right-handed hitting infielder is an above-average hot corner defender with the pull-side power to easily blast the ball out of the stadium, despite some substandard hard-hit figures.
The Yankees’ current third base situation is plainly inadequate, but adding someone like Isaac Paredes to their lineup would require a significant investment. Expect names like Spencer Jones to come up in any discussion about an infielder with many years of control beyond the 2024 season, especially given he is only 25 years old.
This is a youthful superstar in his prime, with the highest wRC+ among qualified third basemen over the last two seasons (137). It would cost an arm and a leg, but it may be a worthwhile trade since it would place Paredes, Soto, and Judge in the same lineup, creating an unbelievable hitting triumvirate capable of crushing opposition pitching staffs with long balls.
Add in Ben Rice’s contributions and what Giancarlo Stanton could bring when he comes from the IL, and you suddenly have a team with significant lineup depth.
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