The New York Yankees have had a strong offseason of work for the most part. They achieved their main goal of re-signing Aaron Judge to a long-term contract, and also made some big splash moves alongside that, such as signing Carlos Rodon, to prove that they are serious World Series contenders in the 2023 season.

This isn't the first time that the Yankees have had a strong offseason only to see their work not lead them to the promised land, though, so it will be interesting to see whether their work this offseason ends up producing in the way they would like it to in the 2023 season. Aside from their two big deals for Judge and Rodon, it's not as if the Yankees have made a ton of other upgrades this offseason.

There's still time to make some more big moves, though, and the Yankees are definitely still looking to make upgrades to their roster. But it may take some wild moves to truly assert the Yankees as a direct competitor for the reigning World Series champions, the Houston Astros, in the American League, so let's take a look at three such moves that would do the trick and see why the Yankees should strongly consider these deals.

3. Trade for Bryan Reynolds

The Yankees have been linked to Bryan Reynolds for awhile now, and the rumors have continued to pick up steam after the star outfielder requested a trade off of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Reynolds is a strong hitter who can play all over the outfield, and he could fill a big position of need for the Yankees in the blink of an eye.

Reynolds put together another strong season for the Pirates in 2022 (.262 BA, 27 HR, 62 RBI, .807 OPS) and has established himself as one of the most underrated outfielders in the game. If Reynolds wasn't being wasted on a desolate Pirates team, chances are he would be regarded as one of the top outfielders in the league.

Aside from Judge, the Yankees don't exactly have much outfield help, which is why swinging a trade with Reynolds would make a lot of sense for them. They need to give Judge more support in both the lineup and in the field, and that's precisely what Reynolds accomplishes. It's not the most wild deal since they have been linked to Reynolds for quite some time, but this is a deal the Yankees absolutely need to make.

2. Trade for Max Fried

A much more radical deal would involve trading for Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried. Fried just finished as the runner up for the National League Cy Young award, but has been the subject to trade rumors as the Braves apparently are looking to shed some salary. If that happens, the Yankees should do whatever it takes to land Fried.

Fried is one of the best pitchers in the MLB, and is coming off the most complete season of his career in 2022. Fried was lights out for the Braves all season long (14-7, 2.48 ERA, 170 K, 1.01 WHIP) and was a stabilizing force as other members of the rotation didn't exactly deliver as they were expected to.

With most of the big moves of the MLB offseason behind us, it's clear that the Braves are lagging behind the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East, and while that doesn't totally justify exploring a trade for Fried, it does make a little bit of sense. Acquiring one of the best pitchers in the league would certainly cost a pretty penny, but this wild move would certainly be worth it for the Yankees.

1. Trade away Giancarlo Stanton

The general incentive for the Yankees is going to involve finding ways to improve their current roster. But a particularly wild move that could end up helping them improve in the future would involve finding a way to trade Giancarlo Stanton and the rest of his massive contract before the start of the 2023 campaign.

Stanton is still a productive hitter (.211 BA, 31 HR, 78 RBI, .759 OPS) but you can see the flaws in his game beginning to emerge. His .211 batting average from 2022 is awful, and there have been seasons where he's struggled mightily to stay on the field. He has value, but it feels like moving on from Stanton could allow the Yankees to make even more big moves to build up their roster.

The other issue is that Stanton doesn't really play in the field anymore, so he's basically just a boom or bust designated hitter. He has value for some teams, but it doesn't feel like the Yankees are one of those teams anymore considering their heightened expectations. And for that reason, it makes a lot of sense to explore a potential trade for Stanton this offseason.