With a little more than one week until the MLB trade deadline, the New York Yankees are on the prowl for upgrades. GM Brian Cashman is expected to operate aggressively with Toronto and Boston surging in the division. As for their biggest need, it's clear that third base will be a priority. New York's current options of Jorbit Vivas and Oswald Peraza won't cut it for long.
As far as trade targets go, the absolute dream is Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suárez. He might not be the defensive upgrade Yankees fans yearn for, but he's in the middle of a dominant offensive campaign. Suárez has six home runs in his last five games and 36 on the season, which is tied with Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani for the second-most in MLB behind Seattle's Cal Raleigh.
His .924 OPS is almost double what New York is getting from its current third base options. The 33-year-old is on an expiring contract, but the Yankees of all teams have the capital and the motivation to re-sign Suárez as a free agent. For a team that so desperately lacks power outside of Judge, it's a dream fit.
The only problem is actually getting a trade across the finish line.
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Yankees face steep price to acquire Eugenio Suárez at trade deadline
ESPN's Jeff Passan notes that New York has what Arizona wants in theory: a lot of quality minor-league pitchers on the verge of their MLB call-ups. But he also gives Yankees fans a reason for skepticism.
"The good news for the Yankees is that they line up very well with what the Arizona Diamondbacks are seeking as they consider moving Suárez, the most coveted player on the market," Passan writes. "New York's ability to develop starting pitchers with excellent minor league numbers is near unmatched in the industry. What worries some front offices is the rarity with which those arms have turned into quality big leaguers. Still, it's the sort of thing that allows the Yankees to rebuff interest in Spencer Jones, who has been the hottest hitter in the minor leagues since his promotion to Triple-A and looks like an impactful bat despite his strikeout issues."
The Yankees are swimming in pitching prospects, but their track record of developing big-leaguers is... suspect. Other teams with a need at third base, such as the Chicago Cubs or the New York Mets, might hold a quantity over quality advantage in negotiations. That is, unless the Yankees float theirNo. 2 prospect Spencer Jones, a talented outfielder who's hitting .408 with 10 home runs and 20 RBI in 17 games with Triple-A Scranton.
Spencer Jones could make or break Yankees' Eugenio Suárez pursuit
Jones is a coveted trade chip and a potential pathway to significant trade deadline value for the Yankees. But if the team is reluctant to part with him, other teams are bound to run up the tab and bid high on Suárez. The D'Backs third baseman is the best bat available at the deadline — the sort of slugger who could mean the difference between an early postseason exit and a World Series run, especially for a team like the Yankees.
But Jones is 24 years old and looking more MLB ready by the day. New York isn't exactly hurting for outfield depth, but Jones should be with the big-league team shortly. If not this season, then next season. Hell, there's a good chance he's pushing 30-plus home runs on the MLB stage early in his career. So, while Suárez is an immediate upgrade and a huge boon for the Yankees' World Series odds, it does come with significant long-term risk, especially if Jones can cut down on strikeouts without sacrificing power.
The last thing Yankees fans want to see is Suárez put on a Yankees uniform for half a season, get booted in the second round, then walk in free agency, only for Jones to develop into a perennial All-Starr next to Corbin Carroll in Phoenix.