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The New York Yankees got off to a legendary start to their 2022 campaign, entering July with a 56-21 record. While injuries to Giancarlo Stanton, Luis Severino, and Michael King have slowed the Yankees' winning pace in July, they still entered play Sunday with an MLB-best 69-33 record.
Aaron Judge is on pace to break the franchise's single-season home run record of Roger Maris, who hit 61 home runs in 1961. Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, and Clay Holmes have been three of the best pitchers in the AL. This is a ridiculously loaded Yankees roster that will look to add ahead of the 2022 MLB trade deadline.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone will have the whole of August to recuperate and search for the necessary momentum heading into the postseason. King will miss the rest of the season, so the bullpen still needs improvement. The hope is for Zack Britton to return by August to bolster the bullpen, but the starting rotation also has hiccups as Severino has not resumed throwing yet.
The pitching is a constant cause for concern for the Yankees. However, acquiring superstar outfielder Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals is one perfect trade that would make them the clear World Series favorite.
The Perfect Yankees 2022 MLB Trade Deadline Deal
Juan Soto for a plethora of prospects
The Yankees are already arguably the best team in baseball. Adding one of the best hitters in the world to an already stacked lineup would just make them more ridiculous and the clear World Series favorite.
Imagine having three of the best outfielders in the league: Soto, Judge, and Stanton. That would give Boone myriad combinations in the batting order as New York still has Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres, and Matt Carpenter in the middle of the order as well. Also, Soto has tremendous postseason experience as he captured a World Series crown with the Nationals in 2019.
The Yankees have continually added top-tier talent for the past five years but still have not gotten over the hump against their AL counterparts. The concerns have been varying every season, but Soto would likely be able to fill in the gap of most of these problems. The offense was constantly concerned when Judge, Stanton, and the rest of the nucleus started striking out way too much in the postseason. Instantly, Soto would address the fears because of his consistent ability to put the ball in play and create contact.
The sacrifice the Yankees would need to execute is giving up on their phenomenal prospects. Anthony Volpe, Oswald Peraza, and Jasson Dominguez are the top prospects in the system, and New York would likely have to give up more than one of these players and perhaps all of them to get a prize like Soto. This move would not rush the championship window because Soto is only 23 years old. Furthermore, Soto would be crucial insurance just in case the Yankees' front office cannot agree on a new contract for Judge.
The Yankees have failed to win a World Series since 2009. That is unacceptable to this fan base because of their history. They are on pace to possibly win it this season, but adding Soto would be that one critical move that elevates the probability in a big way.
The Yankees must start serious talks with the Washington Nationals and make a blockbuster move for Juan Soto.
