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New York Yankees Trade Rumors: Is Mat Latos A Target?

By Jason Evans |

The New York Yankees continue to look around and try to add to their roster as we are now under a week from the trade deadline. The Yankees could certainly make a move for a starter as they look to upgrade their roster. The Yankees already made a trade with the Miami Marlins in the off-season. Could they do it again?

Mat Latos fits what GM Brian Cashman likes to do at the deadline in getting guys on the last year of their deals. Latos battled injury and struggled early on, but has had an outstanding July. 

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In two starts, he’s won both with a 0.64 ERA. He’s only given up five hits in 14 innings with 14 strikeouts.

Latos’ K rate has improved from 6.5 to over 8 per nine innings. His groundball rate is 43%. His fastball velocity is up this year as well. Latos has battled injury over the past two years but was very successful before that. Among pitchers in 2013, his last really healthy and full season, he was the ninth most valuable in terms of WAR.

The thing you have to ask is if Latos can pitch in a big spot in a pennant race and can he change leagues and be successful in the AL coming over from the NL. In the second half of 2013, as the Reds fought for a playoff spot, he was 6-4 with a 2.68.

If healthy, Latos could be a difference maker and would probably cost less than Johnny Cueto or the other bigger names on the block. Putting him with Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda and that’s a pretty intriguing top three of the rotation as the team heads down the final stretch.

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