A Yankees-Giants trade that takes NY to an unstoppable level

The New York Yankees are currently 45-21, good for the best record in the American League. They have the top two players in the AL and are bound to see one of the two, Judge or Soto, return to New York with the AL MVP at the conclusion of the season. Their reigning Cy Young ace, Gerrit Cole, is set to return from an elbow injury too.

But the Yankees have fallen short of the World Series for far too long. They need to keep improving. Having the best record in the AL or winning the AL East isn't enough, especially with Juan Soto set to enter free agency at the end of the season. They need to win the World Series and they need the trade market to do so.

A Yankees-Giants trade to fill one of New York's only holes in their roster

New York has a bit of a hole in their lineup and it's at the hot corner. There are bound to be a few solid third baseman on the market that New York could take a chance on, but none may be a better fit than the Giants Matt Chapman.

The first thing to note with Matt Chapman is his defense. He's one of the best infielder defenders of the 21st century and would provide the Yankees with a stable bat as well. Chapman is currently slashing .240/.318/.407 on the season with eight bombs.

The package for Chapman would consistnt of multiple top 15 prospects, per MLB Pipeline. Will Warren, Kyle Carr and Jorbit Vivas are all in the top 15 Yankees prospects.

Warren, an MLB-ready righty, has a good three-pitch mix, though he's struggled mightily in 2024. His potential, mainly due to his slider that has a spin rate over 3,000 RPM, is through the roof. With the right pitching coach, he could be a game changer.

Vivas, another polished player, has a developed bat to ball game, though he has also struggled in 2024. The Giants would be taking a risk on his tools rather than his 2024 production, much like with Warren.

Kyle Carr is a bit of a longer-term project, currently dealing with command issues in 2024. The potential is there for Carr to be a future rotational piece in the big leagues, but he has to continue to polish his game.

The Giants would be taking a risk by looking to buy low on three high potential prospects. All three could continue to struggle and this trade could come back to bite San Francisco. But if they can figure it out, the Giants would win this trade easily.

New York needs to be more aggressive than the rest of the league's best teams. If they're not, 2024 is going to end up just like the last few seasons, with New York watching the World Series from their couch.