By Derek McAdam
December 23, 2022
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The Yankees have made several big signings so far this off-season, including bringing back Aaron Judge on a nine-year contract and making his the 16th captain in Yankee history, while also bringing in Carlos Rodon on a six-year contract to bolster their starting rotation. Anthony Rizzo and Tommy Kahnle were two additional signings the team made, but are there still additional moves left in the tank?
Brian Cashman has shown interest in several outfielders this off-season, including Brandon Nimmo, while also showing a high-priority to bring back Judge. However, there is a potential gap in left field that the Yankees currently have not solved. After Andrew Benintendi left for the Chicago White Sox on a five-year deal, the Yankees have some potential replacements in Aaron Hicks and Oswaldo Cabrera, but have considered trading for Bryan Reynolds.
Reynolds is coming off a 2022 season hitting .262, while slugging 27 home runs and 62 RBIs. Reynolds has been a center fielder so far in his career, but would most likely make the shift to left field in the Bronx, since Harrison Bader is commanding center field. Not only would the Yankees’ outfield defense see an improvement, but they could potentially have the best defensive outfield in the entire league.
Additionally, the Yankees have not improved their team offensively since the off-season began. Judge and Rizzo are the only two bats the Yankees have signed so far, while several other players have walked. As of right now, this lineup is going to look almost identical to last year’s playoff lineup. So that’s where acquiring Reynolds could shift things up in the lineup.
First, Reynolds is a switch-hitter who can hit for power from both sides. While most of his power comes from the left-side, which may come as a benefit playing at Yankee Stadium, Reynolds is also a good hitter in general. He carries a career .281 average, and while his 2022 season started off extremely slow, he was able to rebound and still finish with a decent average.
Second, Reynolds has three years of team control through the 2025 season, which can give the Yankees a little more stability in the outfield if Bader leaves following next season. If Bader were to leave, Reynolds could shift back over to center field for at least two seasons. However, this is going to be a factor in what the Pirates are asking teams in return for Reynolds.
The good news for the Yankees is that the Pirates are interested in starting pitching. While the Yankees don’t have top prospects in regards to starters, they could still center a package around pitchers such as Luis Gil or Will Warren, who were top Top 10 prospects in the Yankee organization last season.
Would the Pirates be willing to take on Gleyber Torres as part of the deal? It’s hard to imagine they would, but the Yankees should at least throw his name into the mix and see what could potentially happen. The Yankees need to unload another infielder, and Torres seems like the likely candidate to be traded.
What about Cabrera? Cabrera has shown that he can be an ultimate utility player who can play several positions very well. Would the Yankees be willing to part with him if it gets them closer to a trade for Reynolds? I can’t imagine the Yankees would be willing to part from Cabrera, but the Pirates would most likely be willing to work with the Yankees if Cabrera was included.
How about Peraza? The Yankees seem confident that Anthony Volpe is going to be in the Majors this season, so why would they need him when they have Isiah Kiner-Falefa? Once again, it’s hard to think that the Yankees are willing to part with Peraza, but it should be something they consider…although it still is unlikely that they trade Peraza in a package for Reynolds.
As a Yankee fan, this is a trade I want to see happen. I don’t believe the Yankees should throw everything they have to try and acquire Reynolds, but they should make a strong offer to try and bring him to the Bronx. Yes, they’ll have to trade some top prospects and maybe an MLB-ready player. However, Reynolds is going to make this offense better, which is something that has not been done this off-season.
Mr. Cashman, please try and swing a deal that can bring Reynolds in!
