The New York Yankees want Eugenio Suarez, but they are not alone. Suarez is the most in-demand player as the MLB trade deadline nears, and he hit two home runs on Sunday to ensure that. If not the Yankees, then perhaps Mike Hazen will deal Suarez to one of the Cubs, Brewers, Tigers, Mariners, Mets, etc. You get the picture. However, a Yankees-Diamondbacks trade package may have been leaked by New York radio broadcaster Rickie Ricardo, and it's a lot.
First, the Yankees wouldn't just be getting Suarez, but also right-handed pitcher Merrill Kelly and LHP Jalen Beeks out of the bullpen. All of that sounds great, but the Yankees would also have to mortgage some of their farm system in such a trade. The deal would reportedly require five Yankees prospects, including right-handed pitcher Cam Schlitter, who is the team's second-ranked prospect.
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Yankees-Diamondbacks trade hasn't been agreed to yet for a reason
All we know about this trade is that it hasn't been agreed upon yet, and there is a reason for that. On the Yankees side, that is a lot of prospect capital to give up for Suarez, who is on the final year of his contract, along with two other rentals. None of the players in said trade are guaranteed to be members of the Yankees roster beyond 2025. Schlitter, along with any number of the prospects the Diamondbacks may be interested in, could turn into future stars in Arizona.
As for the Diamondbacks, they are in no rush to trade Suarez, who is raking. Suarez has been red-hot of late and thus his value is only increasing. While Schlitter is talented and major league ready, he is not a top-100 prospect in baseball. If Arizona can pair their expiring assets together and land one of the best prospects in the game – which ought to be their deadline goal – then they should do it. Maybe they are higher on Schlitter than MLB Pipeline, but on the surface all this deal does is provide minor-league depth, whether than future star talent.
Eugenio Suarez trade rumors offer plenty of red flags for Yankees
The Yankees are in a rush to get this deal done as they are three games out in the AL East. While New York leads the AL Wild Card, they'd rather be atop their own division, and to do that they need a definitive answer at third base. DJ LeMahieu was not it, Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas, while nice stories, are not the caliber of Suarez. Adding Kelly to a rotation without Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil would provide much-needed reinforcements, and Beeks is a solid bullpen arm.
However, the red flags are obvious here. The Diamondbacks have every right to ask for a king's ransom in a trade for Suarez because they aren't in the same rush as the Yankees are. This trade package – presuming it was offered by New York – should be available any time before July 31. The sooner the Yankees add Suarez and his 35 home runs to their lineup, the better.