One sneaky pitching target that makes perfect sense for the Yankees

Only three weeks remain until the trade deadline, and the New York Yankees are yet to strike.

Well, that’s not technically true. The Yankees made a small trade over the weekend, sending Minor League catcher Alex Jackson to the Baltimore Orioles for international bonus pool space and a player to be named or cash considerations. Still, we haven’t seen the Yankees make a true splash — but when they’re ready, they’d be wise to call the Athletics about veteran starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs.

The 32-year-old Springs continued his strong season on Tuesday night, limiting the Atlanta Braves to one run over six innings. Springs improved to 7-6 with a 3.92 ERA in 103.1 innings for the last-place A’s.

It’s only a matter of when, not if, the lowly A’s officially wave the white flag and transition to 2026. There’s no legitimate reason for the Athletics to keep Springs, who is under control for another two years; he has one season remaining on a four-year, $31 million contract, and then a $15 million club option for 2027.

Springs has quietly posted a 3.76 ERA for the A’s and Tampa Bay Rays since returning from Tommy John surgery last summer. He’s a solid if unimpressive option, one that should nonetheless appeal to a Yankees team desperately needing starting rotation depth.

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Jeffrey Springs could be perfect trade deadline fit for Yankees

That’s not to say Springs is a perfect option, largely because of his home run problems. Springs has already allowed a career-high 17 long balls, with eight coming over 57.1 road innings. That’s significant because the A’s are playing in a Minor League stadium, so the argument about Sutter Health Park’s dimensions inflating Springs’ stats doesn’t work here.

Springs also may not come cheap, and not just because he has a $10.5 million salary this year and next. The A’s sent three players and a draft pick to the Rays for Springs and pitcher Jacob Lopez last offseason. It doesn’t make sense for the A’s to trade Springs without getting at least one MLB-ready prospect back in return.

No, the Yankees don’t need to give up George Lombard Jr. or Spencer Jones in return, nor should they. Springs isn’t worth that type of package, even for a Yankees team teetering on the verge of desperation this trade season.

It feels inevitable that the second-place Yankees will acquire at least one starting pitcher in the coming weeks, even with Luis Gil expected back within the next month. We’ll see if that pitcher turns out to be Springs, especially if they strike out (pun not intended) on other arms.