The New York Yankees need to make significant roster changes this offseason if they want to end their lengthy World Series drought in 2026. Free agency will garner a lot of attention from fans over the coming weeks. In reality, GM Brian Cashman might need to dip into the trade market to make the sort of changes required to retool manager Aaron Boone's roster.
The organization is not blessed with a ton of high-end trade chips to bring their competitors to the negotiating table. One notable exception is 26-year-old slugger Ben Rice. He showed tremendous pop for the Yankees this season and has the ability to play catcher and first base at the Major League level. It's easy to understand why multiple teams would be interested in acquiring his services.
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Brian Cashman could break a frustrating Yankees trend
That's why it's no surprise that Jon Heyman of the New York Post is reporting that Rice's availability has been the subject of several trade calls since the end of the regular season. Heyman also reports that New York is very "reluctant" to part company with their home grown star.
Cashman has drawn a lot of criticism from Yankee fans for "prospect hugging" in recent years. The team's desire to exercise some measure of fiscal restraint has placed a higher priority on promoting homegrown, cost-controlled players into the team's every day lineup. Rice fits the bill perfectly. He still has one more season before he qualifies for salary arbitration.
At first glance that might lead some Yankee fans to consider Rice to be untouchable in trade talks. That's not the stance the team's front office should take. Instead, they should establish a high price for Rice and then take calls to see if another team will meet it.
Why would the Yankees trade Ben Rice?
Rice is a very nice player whose pull swing plays particularly well within the confines of Yankee Stadium. He is not, however, a generational star. At best, he profiles as an above-average starter who can give New York quality value over the life of his next contract.
His aforementioned ability to catch and play first base seems like a plus when first mentioned, but the unfortunate reality is that he's not a very good defender at either spot. The team was noticeably reluctant to put him behind the plate until necessity made it happen. His play at first base drew plaudits because he managed not to embarrass himself despite limited experience in the infield. He still projects to be a minus on defense if he moves to first permanently.
Add it all up and you have a nice left-handed slugger who can't handle any defensive spot on the diamond with any more than average production. Those sorts of players are always available in free agency. If the Yankees can find a team willing to pay a big price for Rice they could replace him with a veteran on a modest contract.
The upside for the Yankees would be turning Rice into a player who could fill a roster hole that's tougher to address in free agency. For example, flipping Rice for a shortstop who could compete with Anthony Volpe would drastically upgrade the Yankees roster. That's the sort of move they should target if they're going to put Rice on the table.
In the end, the Yankees should continue to ask a high price for Rice. He's a good player who still has team control that can benefit any franchise. He should not be considered unteachable though. There are plenty of deals New York could make for Rice that would improve their World Series credentials.