Hal Steinbrenner isn’t like his old man. The New York Yankees will no longer one-up every other team in Major League Baseball to get the best free agents in the market. They’ll, instead, trade for aging players and sign them to massive contract extensions.
Brian Cashman’s M.O. has remained unchanged regardless of the team’s failure to reach, let alone win, another World Series. He’ll let other teams go to war in free agency and then try to land a star in the trade market.
That’s exactly what happened again in 2022. But judging by the start of the season, it’s clear that the Evil Empire needs to get to work and make some moves to improve the roster. With that in mind, let’s take a look at 3 potential trade targets for the Yankees.
MLB Trade Rumors: 3 Potential Targets For The New York Yankees
3. Willson Contreras
Losing Gary Sánchez was great for defensive purposes but terrible in terms of offensive production. The Chicago Cubs signed Yan Gomes and traded most of their World Series-wining core last season, so Willson Contreras could be the next to go.
Contreras would provide the Yankees with an elite backstop who can also rake. The Cubs haven’t reached out to him about a contract extension, so they could be forced to move him at a discount before he walks away as a free agent.
2. Frankie Montas
While Aaron Boone seems fully confident in his starting rotation, it’s clear that the Yankees could use another reliable arm on the mound. The Oakland Athletics traded away nearly every good player on their roster but Frankie Montas.
Montas hasn’t exactly been lights out to start the season, going 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA and 1.059 WHIP with 12 strikeouts on 11.1 IP. But he’s a proven veteran who’s durable and capable of handling a big workload, which is more than we can say about most of the Yankees’ starters.
1. Cedric Mullins
The Baltimore Orioles are bad. Like, really bad. And they’re not trying to get better any time soon. Cedric Mullins is one of the most dynamic offensive players in the game and could be a big improvement for them at center field over the injury-prone Aaron Hicks.
Mullins can steal a handful of bases, has great contact, and is an outstanding fielder as well. Also, he’d give the Yankees another much-needed left-handed hitter at a more than reasonable price.