It's trade season time! The New York Yankees are being active in the trade market so far. With the AL East race heating up, New York is looking to load up to challenge the Baltimore Orioles. An area that they're looking to improve on is their pitching, particularly their starting rotation.
The Yankees are being linked to a couple of high-profile pitchers. Detroit Tigers star Tarik Skubal and Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet are their top options. Interest from New York is starting to get stronger. Why? Well, it's because New York is now willing to part ways with a big asset, per Bob Nightengale.
“The New York Yankees, for the first time, are willing to include No. 1 prospect Spencer Jones in a trade for White Sox ace Garrett Crochet or Tigers Cy Young candidate Tarik Skubal.”
That's certainly going to turn a few heads. Jones, an outfielder in the Yankees' minor league system, was ranked 15th in the MLB prospect list earlier this year. His power potential makes him an intriguing prospect.
Is it enough to move the needle, though? The White Sox are not moved just yet, as they're holding out for a better offer from the Yankees (or any other team, for that matter).
“The White Sox, however, are holding out for a bigger package from the Yankees and others.”
With the trade deadline a week away from now, the White Sox are banking on the Yankees' desperation. They may not want to move Crochet yet, but a sweeter deal could entice them.
Yankees gearing up for major second-half explosion
The Yankees have had a pretty interesting season. They started strong, grabbing the AL East with a convincing lead over the competition. The Orioles struggled to start the season, and New York capitalized. With Aaron Judge and Juan Soto leading the way, it felt like the Pinstripes would cruise to an easy division win.
However, the Orioles were able to bounce back and return to the form they showed last season. As for the Yankees, they hit a minor slump in the middle of the season. As a result, Baltimore was able to catch up and eventually overtook New York in the standings. New York is currently two games behind Baltimore in the AL East.
Given their strong record, the Yankees should still make it to the playoffs (barring a catastrophic late-season collapse). That being said, getting the first seed would make their lives so much easier. The top seed would likely earn them a first-round bye AND put the Orioles on a much tougher path in the playoffs. It would just be the best outcome for them.
Adding more pitching to their rotation would greatly help them in their quest. Skubal and Crochet would give them more stability in their rotation. The Yankees have a good rotation on paper, but they are a tad bit too inconsistent. Even with Gerrit Cole making his return, New York still needs some arms to prepare for the playoffs. Can they do that?
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