If Eugenio Suarez was already the name at the top of the New York Yankees' trade deadline wishlist, he certainly is after Monday. While the Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman slug his NL-leading 36th homer of the season against the the Houston Astros, Yankees fans were forced to watch their own third baseman, Oswald Peraza, commit an infuriating error in yet another loss to the division-leading Toronto Blue Jays. Peraza has been arguably the worst everyday hitter in the sport this year, and now even his glove can't be counted on; the thought of replacing him with an MVP candidate is obviously pretty appealing.
Of course, that's also the problem: Suarez is appealing to just about every contender right now, and that bidding war between the likes of the Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers could bump his price up to astronomical levels. As badly as New York might want to add such a perfect fit to their lineup, the stars may not align for Brian Cashman.
That may not be what Yankees fans want to hear, but it's a reality Cashman needs to start preparing for. And luckily, a long-time AL rival might be willing to help him do just that. While there isn't another bat like Suarez on the market ahead of July 31, the Minnesota Twins are now willing to shop a player who could be the next-best thing.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Willi Castro has to be the backup plan if Yankees miss out on Eugenio Suarez
Buyers have been eying the Twins for weeks now, as Minnesota has dangled on the edge of contention in the AL Central. But now, with five games to make up and six different teams to jump in the race for the third and final AL Wild Card spot, it seems like the team has finally pulled the plug.
No, Joe Ryan and Jhoan Duran still aren't likely to be available, but according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, rentals like infielder Willi Castro are:
As of today, the Twins are now seriously listening on their rental players, including Coulombe, Bader and Castro. While they will listen on All-Star starter Joe Ryan and star closer Jhoan Duran they’d have to be blown away, especially for Ryan.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 22, 2025
Make no mistake: Castro isn't in Suarez's league as a hitter, and Cashman should still do whatever it takes to land the No. 1 man on his shopping list. But if Suarez doesn't wind up in the Bronx, New York should prefer Castro much more than other alternatives like Ke'Bryan Hayes and Ryan McMahon.
For starters, Castro is simply a better player than those two right now, with a .785 OPS, tremendous athleticism on the bases and the ability to play at least adequate defense all over the diamond. And he also is a pending free agent, meaning he won't clog up the Yankees' payroll for years to come on a contract that is already underwater. (McMahon is due $16 million a year in both 2026 and 2027, while Hayes is under team control through at least 2029.)
Castro runs the bases, plays fundamentally sound and gets on base at a solid clip as a switch-hitter. He raises the floor significantly, and he comes without the huge red flags that Cashman would have to swallow otherwise. It's not the dream scenario, but it's still lightyears better than what New York currently has.