Yankees need to pass on trading for Matthew Boyd

It’s easy to see why the Yankees would be tempted to make a deal for Matthew Boyd, but Brian Cashman should avoid the Tigers pitcher.

The Yankees are almost certainly going to make a trade to fortify their starting rotation before the trade deadline. As such, it’s safe to expect that New York will be linked with every arm that comes available. There are already rumblings linking Tigers’ left-hander Matthew Boyd with a move to the Bronx.

Detroit is squarely in the midst of a rebuild and are willing part with quite a few players on their roster. Boyd is arguably the most attractive trade asset at their disposal. His 3.08 ERA in just over 84 innings pitched this season would slot him in the top half of almost every contender’s starting rotation.

That’s exactly why sources from Detroit are linking him with a move to the Yankees. Quality at the top of manager Aaron Boone’s rotation appears to be the one thing standing between New York and a 28th World Series title. Cashman and his front office are keenly aware of that fact. They are going to investigate the possibility of adding a number of pitchers in the coming weeks.

Yankees fans should hope that the research they conduct on Boyd ultimately causes them to pass on the Tigers’ ace. His numbers this year are certainly excellent, but his current season looks like a major outlier when you compare it to his career statistics. The career ERA of 4.76 that Boyd sports at this point in his career may be a better indicator of what level of pitcher he’s going to be moving forward.

The Yankees have plenty of guys who can help solidify the back-end of a quality rotation. What they need to find is someone they can trust to start a meaningful playoff game. The absence of Luis Severino at the top of the rotation looms large at the moment, but the organization hopes he can return after the All-Star break.

Even if Severino does return at his best, the struggles of Masahiro Tanaka and James Paxton behind him in the potential postseason rotation are a serious concern for the Yankees. At the very least, the organization will look to add one more starter they can add to that mix just behind Severino. Of course, they’d like to find a way to add a bona fide ace, but that guy doesn’t appear to be available this season.

Perhaps if the Tigers were looking to dump Boyd for salary purposes there would be a sensible deal out there for the Yankees. The reality is Boyd is still under team control with Detroit. That means the Tigers are going to ask for a major haul to let him leave town.

In the end, Boyd’s inconsistent career combined with the price that would be necessary to acquire him make him a poor target for the Yankees. Expect Cashman and company to focus their attention elsewhere.