Yankees Trade Target: Starting Pitcher Joe Ross

Reports indicate that Washington Nationals starting pitcher Joe Ross could be the centerpiece of a trade for Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman.

Given the Yankees reported hunger to acquire controllable pitching over the past year, it makes sense that they would target one of Washington’s many elite young arms in a trade for Aroldis Chapman.

There has been a lot of posturing on both sides in recent days, but the Nationals still seem like the best fit for a Chapman trade on paper, both in terms of their need and what they have to offer.

The Yankees have been linked to all of Washington’s top starting pitching prospects in the last few weeks, including Lucas Giolito, Erick Fedde, and Reynaldo Lopez, who all have appeared on Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects list. Recent reports have had the Yankees scouting Triple-A Syracuse, as well as Lopez’s MLB debut start in Washington.

Given the Yankees preference for MLB-ready talent however, they may be more interested in 23-year-old Nationals starter Joe Ross, who has 29 successful big league starts under his belt split across two seasons.

Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball recently cited a source with knowledge of the Aroldis Chapman trade negotiations who suggested the Yankees would like Ross included in the deal. For what it’s worth, Heyman was also told there was “no chance” that Ross would be moved for a rental player like Chapman, however.

Ross has missed most of the month of July with inflammation in his right shoulder, but made a rehab start Sunday for High-A Hagerstown. Assuming all goes well, it’s reasonable to expect him to be ready to rejoin the Nationals (or Yankees!) rotation for his next trip to the mound.

As scary as any shoulder injury is for a pitcher, acquiring Ross would be a major win for the Yankees. He’s a proven commodity, with a 3.56 ERA and 7.7 K/9 in 172 career big league innings, including a 3.49 ERA in 95.1 IP this year.

Ross is still receiving the league minimum salary, and won’t hit arbitration until 2019. He has five years of team control remaining, and won’t be a free agent until after the 2021 season

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It would be a bold decision for the Nationals to deal from their major league roster in the middle of a playoff run, but if they believe Giolito or Lopez are ready to step in, it may make sense for them to pull the trigger on a Ross for Chapman swap.