The Yankees will almost certainly trade for a starting pitcher before the end of July. Here are the five most likely players to make a move to the Bronx.
Brian Cashman is consistently one of the most active general managers in all of MLB when it comes to strengthening his team down the stretch. In other words, it’s safe to assume the Yankees will be involved in every trade conversation involving a starting pitcher for the next several weeks.
There’s no guarantee that Cashman will make a seismic move. In fact, the odds actually favor him doing work around the edges. The Yankees are not going to hemorrhage prospects to acquire a solid, but unspectacular starting pitcher. That’s precisely why Madison Bumgarner is not on this list.
Instead of dreaming for an ace, Yankees fans should look for a solid, middle-of-the-rotation arm. The list starts with a 31-year-old in the midst of a career season.
5. Mike Minor
If the Rangers want to get maximum value in a trade for Mike Minor then now is the time. The southpaw has been electric this season. His 2.54 ERA in 112 innings of work would be a major boost to Aaron Boone’s rotation.
The downside to making a deal for Minor is that the Yankees would be paying for a career season. There’s nothing in his past that indicated a breakthrough would come at the age of 31. It’s very likely his performance will regress towards the mean in as the summer progresses. That doesn’t mean he won’t have value, but it does mean that Minor shouldn’t be counted on as an ace moving forward.
The Rangers might still consider themselves to be on the fringes of the postseason race, but the smarter move would be to sell Minor for a major haul. Expect the Yankees to sound out Texas’ price, but keep Minor as a fall back option.