YANKEES NOT DONE DEALING…
by Cary Greene
July 29, 2021
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Joey Gallo to the Yankees!! It’s official. But Brian Cashman isn’t done and here’s how we know: Joel Sherman of the NY Post is reporting that the Rangers are paying, “most” of Gallo’s salary this season. Cashman is brilliantly trying to stay under the luxury tax threshold and because of this information, most online team payroll sites, who are reporting NY as being every so slightly over the threshold, are in fact off base as of the time of me writing this article.
If Sherman’s reporting is accurate, the Yankees should have about $5,500,000 to play with. This is a clear indication that Trevor Story is next on Cashman’s shopping list. The Yankees can move DJ LeMahieu to first base, slide Gleyber Torres to second base and insert Trevor Story at shortstop. Suddenly that’s a far different looking infield on both sides of the ball.
Earlier this month I had profiled Trevor Story as a likely trade target that Cashman would go after. We’ve become well aware that Cashman likes to trade from a position of strength. So far, he’s done exactly that.
Understanding Colorado’s needs is the key to predicting what a deal with the Yankees might look like. The Rockies are looking to maximize the potential return on any deal involving Story. Colorado’s farm system is very thin and they distinctly lack middle infielders and starting pitching. Replacing Story in the near future with a nearly ready prospect would be pivotal in any deal the Rockies make.
Colorado may also look to bundle Story into a blockbuster type deal and they match up best with the Yankees if they do exactly that. The Yankees meanwhile are determined to stay under the tax threshold so Colorado would need to offset salary, which they would be happy to do because this ups the level of prospect(s) they could get back for Story, who is basically a very expensive rental player at this point.
The Yankees obviously need starting pitching and the Rockies happen to have the affordable Jon Gray on the market, in addition to Story. IN a deal with the Yankees, as I see it, Colorado comes away with either a viable not too far off replacement for Trevor Story, or they have a legit Triple-A Starter they can plug into their rotation next season and a highly rated shortstop prospect they can develop.
Potential Trade with Rockies for Trevor Story and Jon Gray:
Yankees Get: SS Trevor Story – MLB, RHSP Jon Gray – MLB and $3 Million
Rockies Get: SS Oswald Peraza – Double A or both RHSP Clarke Schmidt – Triple A and SS Alexander Vargas – Rookie Ball
This trade might even get slightly bigger, with the Yankees sending Tyler Wade to Colorado, seeing as how they would need a shortstop. Colorado might prefer Albert Abreu as a toss-in and that could be arranged as well. Colorado might even throw in centerfielder Garrett Hampson by the time the dust settles.
In addition…
The Yankees are also actively pursuing another left-handed bat and are said to be in on Washington’s Kyle Schwarber, per Joel Sherman of the NY Post earlier today.
Washington’s biggest needs currently are starting rotation depth and middle infield bats. The Nationals are moving Max Scherzer and potentially Trey Turner who, like Joey Gallo, has an extra year of team control beyond this season. Unfortunately, the cost to trade for Turner and Schwarber is crazy expensive, as in – Jason Dominguez included in a blockbuster heavy on high end pitching prospects and or high end infield prospects! I don’t think the Yankees can go “there” but Schwarber is realistic… though Schwarber’s value has skyrocketed this season.
In order to move the needle for Washington and beat out the Red Sox and the Blue Jays who are also interested, a painful, but likely successful trade might look something like the below. I do think it’s high time that the Yankees just pull the trigger on Schwarber though, he’s been a great fit for the Yankees all along. As Bruce Anthony Buffer of the UFC says with gusto, “Iiiiiiiit’s TIIIIIIIME!” Cashman’s huge challenge would be to get Schwarber without giving up Gil. Could they pull it off?
Potential Trade with Nationals for Kyle Schwarber:
Yankees Get: OF Kyle Schwarber – MLB
Nationals Get: RHSP Luis Gil – Triple A —or—- SS Alexander Vargas – Rookie Ball
Gil just starred in a “combined” no-hitter for Scranton so he’s clearly the guy the Nationals would hone in on but, if Colorado focuses on Peraza, which they very well might, Vargas would still be on the table and he’s a big time prospect with the Yankees who is currently in the Florida Complex “rookie ball” league. Vargas is a significantly better shortstop than anything the Nationals have in their system – meaning Armando Cruz, who is also in Rookie Ball in the Washington system, currently playing in the Dominican Summer league.
All of this deadline maneuvering has shown Brian Cashman to be quite resourceful. If the Yankees pull all this off and get one or both of Luis Severino or Corey Kluber back, which is the equivalent of two potential blockbuster trades for starters, the Yankees could suddenly go from also-rans to major postseason threats.
Assuming Cashman is successful in dealing for Story and Schwarber, what would the new Yankee lineup look like in the World Series?
This is how I see it:
LeMahieu 1B
Judge LF
Gallo CF
Stanton RF/DH
Voit/Schwarber DH
Sanchez C
Story SS
Urshela 3B
Torres 2B
