1 perfect MLB trade Yankees must make this offseason

The Yankees must make this trade with the Marlins during the MLB offseason in order to reach the 2023 World Series.

The New York Yankees are hoping to rebuff the roster ahead of the 2023 MLB season and stage a run to the World Series. While the primary task in the offseason will be re-signing Aaron Judge on a mega deal, the Yankees will need to do much more than that if they want to return to the Fall Classic. There are almost certainly a few trades on the horizon for the Yankees this offseason, and there are a few quality targets that Brian Cashman and Co. should be honing in on.

Additionally, the Yankees roster some players who are likely surplus to requirements, and could be used in order to sweeten the pot in any offseason trade. With a potentially significant overhaul looming, here's the one trade the Yankees must pull off in order to consider the offseason a success.

Yankees' Perfect Offseason Trade

Acquire Pablo Lopez from the Marlins

The Yankees were seeking a deal for Pablo Lopez at the 2022 MLB Trade Deadline, but the Marlins' asking price was ultimately too high. Ken Rosenthal indicated that the Marlins were seeking both Gleyber Torres and Oswald Peraza in a deal for Lopez, which was a price the Yankees obviously balked at. There were also rumors that Aaron Hicks was floated as a potential piece of the trade, but again, nothing ever materialized.

Now that the season is complete, however, the price for Lopez may simmer off a little bit. Lopez didn't have a strong end of the season. After logging a 2.86 ERA across 18 starts in the first half of the season, Lopez's numbers crashed back down to earth during the second half. In his final 14 starts of the year, Lopez had a 4.97 ERA while walking batters and surrendering home runs at a higher clip. He conceded 10 homers in 74 innings in the second half compared to 11 HRs in his first 104 innings.

With a drop-off in production and fewer years of control, Lopez may not warrant as lofty a price tag during the offseason, which could re-open the Yankees' interest in the veteran right-hander. The 26-year-old is still under arbitration for two more seasons before hitting unrestricted free agency in 2025. If he could produce similar numbers to what he did in the first half last year, he could be a valuable addition to a Yankees' rotation that severely lacked depth.

The Frankie Montas trade ended up being a disaster for the Yankees. He'll be back in 2023 under his final arbitration-eligible season, but that shouldn't stop the Yankees from looking to further upgrade the rotation, especially with Jameson Taillon set for free agency.

In terms of what an actual deal would look like, the Yankees have been rumored to be considering parting ways with Gleyber Torres. Still just 25 years old, the Marlins could view Torres as a high-upside lottery ticket who could fit their plans better than Lopez. Torres, like Lopez is under team control through the 2024 MLB season. While a one-for-one swap may not be enough for Marlins to part ways with Lopez, there's reason to believe the Yankees would be willing to part way with a mid-level prospect to push the deal through. Some names that come to mind from within the Yankees' farm include Drew Thorpe (NY's No. 13 prospect), Luis Gil (No. 10), or perhaps Roderick Arias (No. 11).

Last year, the Marlins averaged 3.62 runs per game which ranked 28th out of MLB's 30 teams. With a clear need for improvements on offense, Torres could be a solid addition for an up-and-coming Marlins lineup. While fans in the Bronx were critical of Torres during his disappointing month of August, the rest of his season was actually quite solid. In July, Torres slashed .292/.352/.458 with three home runs and 14 RBI. In September/October, Torres logged a .962 OPS with six home runs and 25 RBI in 24 games.

His .464 OPS in August stained what was otherwise a productive campaign at the plate for Torres, during which he hit a total of 24 home runs. Those numbers will play in almost any lineup, and the Marlins and Yankees could both get better with a trade involving Torres and Lopez. It would make sense for both sides, but it remains to be seen whether the two teams will re-engage in trade talks during the offseason.