This bold-but-worth-it trade is staring the Yankees right in the face
The New York Yankees are trying to improve as much as any team in the league this offseason. For the first time in over a decade, the Yankees made it back to the World Series, but they came up just short of the title at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
One spot the Yankees need to upgrade is in the bullpen. One of the best arms in the league, Athletics closer Mason Miller, was tossed around as a potential trade candidate last season, but the asking price was a bit too high there. You can only assume that he may be available in a trade again this winter and the Yankees would be foolish to not take a shot at him.
Before I get too deep into this deal and what it would take to acquire the Athletics star closer, I want to preface that this could only make sense if the Yankees re-sign Juan Soto in the outfield.
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A blockbuster Yankees-Athletics trade that moves multiple young superstars
It would cost the Yankees an arm and a leg to bring Miller in, but he would be brought in to be the most dominant closer in the game on the best team in the league. That would be the idea. So, who would they need to trade to bring him in?
Jasson Dominguez and Will Warren would be the return. Again, I need to make this clear, this is only in the case that New York inks Juan Soto to a contract of 10 years or longer. If they miss on Soto, Dominguez becomes even more valuable.
You could even explore the potential of sending more prospects and potentially a starting pitcher like Nester Cortes or Marcus Stroman to the Athletics while adding Brent Rooker to the deal. Rooker, a DH now, would need to play some outfield while Giancarlo Stanton clogs the DH spot.
It's a tough pill to swallow trading such a talented and high potential prospect. In the past, Dominguez has been completely untouchable, no matter the return coming. The Yankees even held strong on that during the trade that sent Soto to the Bronx.
But if the Bronx Bombers have Soto and Judge in their lineup each game for the next five, six, seven plus years, they don't need Dominguez if they can bring in one of the best (and youngest) closers in the game.
Miller has also mentioned being open to the idea of starting games again, which he did his entire baseball career until 2024.