Yankees' perfect trade target is falling right into their laps

We still have more than a month to go before this year's trade deadline, but the New York Yankees already know exactly what's at the top of their to-do list. Probably because it's ... the same thing that was at the top on Opening Day: Despite a 2.5-game lead in the AL East behind one of the best offenses in baseball, this roster still has a gaping hole in its infield.

DJ LeMahieu has been more viable than most fans expected since returning from the IL, but he can hardly be considered a long-term solution for a team with World Series aspirations. The Yankees need someone who can play either second base or third base, wherever Jazz Chisholm Jr. isn't, and preferably someone who can hit right-handed in order to even out a lineup that has struggled at times against southpaws this season.

The New York Post's Jon Heyman said as much on MLB Network on Monday, when he mentioned that, in addition to bullpen depth, the Yankees would be looking for infield help.

For the past few weeks, fans have largely focused on the biggest name potentially on the market: Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suarez, who's in the midst of a monster year and would seem to check most of Brian Cashman's boxes. Unfortunately, while Suarez is headed for free agency and Arizona remains mired in fourth place in the rugged NL West, we still have no idea where the D-backs actually plan on selling at the deadline.

But there's a team in the AL to consider instead, one currently in the midst of a free fall that could have it pulling the plug in a few weeks' time. The Minnesota Twins have lost nine of 10 games, a stretch that has dropped them all the way to fourth in the AL Central and behind a whopping six teams in the crowded race for the final Wild Card spot. It's a bit too early to call this team completely cooked, but they're certainly heading in that direction. And that should have Cashman banging down their door for utility man Willi Castro.

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Willi Castro should be at the top of the Yankees' deadline wish list

There was some smoke around Castro to New York over the winter, but nothing ever appeared to get close. All he's done since is prove why he'd be a perfect fit for this Yankees team: The 28-year-old currently boasts a .818 OPS, and while he's a switch-hitter, he's stronger from the right side of the plate. He's also an excellent athlete who's a threat on the bases and can play pretty much anywhere you need him to.

That's pretty much exactly what New York should be in the market for at the deadline. LeMahieu had more left in the tank than previously thought, but the Yankees need someone who can stabilize the position and offer some much-needed depth. Castro offers a different look than LeMahieu, and he's a far more reliable bat than LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza or anybody else New York has internally right now. He also would add some more base-running juice to a team that's always in need of more of it.

In many ways, Castro is a bit like a poor man's Jazz Chisholm Jr. He's not quite in that ballpark as an all-around player, but he's a power/speed threat with defensive versatility, and he also just happens to help balance out New York's lineup. The Twins aren't waving the white flag yet, but they're in organizational flux and showing no signs of looking like a legitimate contender this season. There's a chance they'd be willing to part with a free agent-to-be, and the Yankees farm system has the pitching depth to get a deal done.