NEW YORK — The Yankees need a center fielder.
Aaron Hicks will have surgery to repair a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. Brett Gardner hasn’t hit enough to be given the everyday job, plus at age 37, there’s an injury risk playing him so often. Clint Frazier and Tyler Wade shouldn’t be more than emergency options. Highly regarded center field prospect Estevan Florial might have been pushed early to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but the Yankees aren’t going to rush him.
With that in mind, here are four possible trade targets for general manager Brian Cashman:
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Delino Deshields Jr.
According to The Atheltic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees have already been in contact with the Rangers about Deshields. Going into Friday, he had been on fire at Triple-A Round Rock, hitting .412 with two home runs and five RBI in nine games. A strong center fielder, the 28-year-old would only make worse the Yankees’ righty-heavy lineup problem. DeShields is considered an average defender. Side note: Deshields might not have much love for Yankee Stadium, where he said fans called him a racial slur when he was with the Indians.
Amed Rosario
Once a Mets top prospect, New York included him in the package that brought them back Francisco Lindor. Rosario fits the mold of what the Yankees love: lots of team control (won’t be a free agent until 2024) and defensive versatility, giving them a true backup to Gleyber Torres. But it might take a lot for Cleveland to part with Rosario, considering he’s cost-effective and the Indians are allergic to spending. He hasn’t been much of a threat with the bat, posting a career .699 OPS going into Friday.
JaCoby Jones
Jones comes a bit pricey, considering the Yankees aren’t far from the $210-million luxury tax threshold. He’s making $2.6 million. But he won’t be a free agent until 2024 and with his average exit velocity of 89.2 mph putting him in the 62nd percentile of big-leaguers. But after posting a combined .767 OPS over the last two years, he’s off to a terrible start in 2021, hitting just .172 with two homers and a .464 OPS.
Yonathan Daza
Considering the success Mike Tauchman had with the Yankees, Colorado might be hesitant to send another outfielder to the Bronx. But there’s reason for the Yankees to like him. He can play all three outfield positions well. And though he hasn’t been known to be an offensive threat, he’s off to a hot start, slashing .327/.355/.761 through his first 37 games. But Daza is just 27 years old. Would the Rockies give him up when the Yankees likely might be selling teams on a third/fourth outfielder type of package.
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