Yankees Should Target These 3 Starters At MLB Trade Deadline

Before the season got under way, I wrote about how New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman seems ready to be aggressive on the trade market no matter how the team performs. He would either try to deal some of his vets with expiring contracts for more prospects, or throw around his wealth of prospects for vets with expiring contracts.

Yankees fans, this writer in particular, are starting to think about the latter. Jose Quintana will undoubtedly be the biggest prize of the trade deadline due to his age (28) and contract (four more years for about $36 million). If Quintana pitches as well as the baseball world knows he can, he’s a ridiculously valuable player. That also allows the White Sox to expect a sizeable return.

The Yankees most certainly have the farm system depth to pull off such a blockbuster, but Cashman doesn’t seem willing to pony up. Negotiations for Quintana would likely start with Gleyber Torres or Clint Frazier packaged with numerous names on the Yankees’ top 10 list.

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It would be nice to get a pitcher of Quintana’s caliber and affordability, but I’m getting major pause about what kind of prospect haul it would take to land him. Trading for starting pitchers is almost always a gamble, but here are three trade candidates that might make more sense to pursue.

Sonny Gray

Build package around: Jorge Mateo and Dustin Fowler

The Oakland A’s seem to be perpetually in sell mode due to a shoestring budget and tiny windows of opportunity to compete. Franklin Barreto is their shortstop of the future, but they could use Mateo at second base. Fowler makes sense for the A’s because they could use youth and athleticism in their outfield.

I like Gray for the Yankees for two reasons. 1). He’s 27 and has two years of arbitration after this season. If he can stay healthy, he’s young enough to get back to his 2015 form. That year, he threw 208 innings with a 2.73 ERA and was worth 3.7 WAR. 2). A bounceback like that would be just what the team needs if Tanaka opts out and doesn’t re-sign.

If Cashman can get Gray at a low enough price, it’s a worthwhile gamble. The A’s can never have enough prospects to develop or flip, and the they likely won’t balk at trading Gray if he stays healthy and shows promise.

Yu Darvish

Build package around: Chance Adams or Dustin Fowler

If the Rangers can’t climb into contention by the summer, Darvish and his expiring contract make a lot of sense as a stretch-run rental – granted he stays healthy. Darvish is off to a nice start, though it remains to be seen if he can reclaim his former glory.

In Adams, the Rangers would get a starting pitcher close to major league readiness who could compete for a rotation spot next spring. In Fowler, they would get a center fielder who could replace Carlos Gomez next season, and save them money doing it.

Trading for Darvish would require a wait-and-see approach, for his arm health and his performance. The upside is undeniably exciting. If CC Sabathia can’t stay consistent, the Yankees will need a stable veteran to join the rotation. In Darvish, they might get that as well as a guy whose career K/9 is 11.15.

Gerrit Cole

Build package around: Clint Frazier and Chance Adams

Once upon a time, Gerrit Cole was a Yankees draftee in 2008, only he chose to go to UCLA instead of sign. He was a first round pick and gave up a reported $4 million offer. The Pirates took him first overall in 2011 and gave him an $8 million signing bonus.

I’ve always liked Cole for his ace-caliber makeup, but him betting on himself and winning puts him over the top. He doesn’t just have an ace mentality though. In 2015 he posted a 2.60 ERA, and 8.74 K/9 against 1.9 BB/9, to the tune of 5.4 WAR.

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Like Gray, Cole is a young starter with two years of arbitration and a lot of upside. The Pirates might also choose not to deal him and build a rotation around him. The Pirates are also in last place in the same division as the Cubs. If they do decided to blow it up, the Yankees make for a natural trade partner.

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