Yankees: Why a trade for Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard is highly unlikely

The Yankees are going to need some more starting pitching to increase their chances of winning a World Series. Met’s ace Jacob deGrom would be the perfect fit to help them get over the hump, but there are far too many obstacles in the way for a deal to get done.

If deGrom becomes available in trade talks in the coming weeks he would clearly be the most sought-after name on the market and the Yankees would surely have some interest. He’s been outstanding so far this season and has established himself as one of the premier aces in the game today.

deGrom in 2018: 4-0, 1.49 ERA, 98 K’s, 1.04 WHIP, .206 BAA in 72.1 innings

Whether his name will be on the trading block or not remains to be seen but with the Mets in the midst of a collapse, it’s something they might have to consider as the deadline approaches. Any deal for deGrom could help them reboot what is a very weak farm system and the Yankees are one of the few teams in baseball who have what it takes to get a trade done.

However, this is the Mets cross-town rivals were talking about and the price the Yankees would have to pay to acquire an ace like deGrom would be enormous. I’m sure most Mets fans would flip out over the thought of sending deGrom to the Bronx and Yankees fans might be hesitant themselves once they realize what they’d have to give up to get him.

Any talks between Brian Cashman and Sandy Alderson would more than likely start and end with rookie phenoms Gleyber Torres or Miguel Andujar. Torres would certainly be a no from the Yankees and with the way Andujar has burst onto the scene himself, he’d likely be a no as well.

Both project to be starters in the Yankees infield for the next 10-15 years and while deGrom could certainly help the Yanks win the World Series he’s only under team control through 2020. The Yanks are in win now mode so bringing in deGrom makes a lot of sense, but they always have an eye on the future so it might not be worth it at the cost of one of their blossoming young stars. Especially since they still have a fair shot of winning it all the way they’re currently constructed.

That’s not even mentioning what else the Yankees would have to give up in addition to Andujar or Torres. Two or three of their top prospects would probably have to be included like Estevan Florial, Justus Sheffield, Albert Abreu or former top prospect Clint Frazier. For deGrom, I’d probably be willing to give up three of those four if I were Cashman, but not if that’s in addition to Torres or Andujar.

You have to remember that even though the Mets might listen to offers for deGrom that doesn’t mean they have to trade him. He’s still under team control for another two and a half seasons so if a trade is going to happen it’s going to be on their terms and they’re going to get the best possible return to replenish their weak farm system.

Related Story: Yankees: Which prospects are untouchable in trade talks?

What about Syndergaard?

The same can be said for deGrom’s teammate Noah Syndergaard. Both are scheduled to pitch in this weekend’s Subway Series at Citi Field and both might become available according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. deGrom is the more complete pitcher but Syndergaard is a potential ace in his own right and is under team control through 2021. A deal for him would require a similar haul as the one for deGrom and might take even more because he’s still so young at 25-years old.

Either one would give the Yankees an edge when you can pair one of them with Luis Severino at the front end of a playoff rotation not only this season but for the next two to three years. Combined with the Yankees powerhouse lineup and elite bullpen they’d be perennial World Series favorites. And yet from the Yankees point of view, it’s still understandable why’d they’d be hesitant to pursue one of them in a trade.

Going after someone like Cole Hamels or J.A. Happ might make more sense because the asking price would be far less costly since they both could become free agents after this season. While neither is an ace they’re both quality veteran left-handers who could replace the recently injured Jordan Montgomery (TJ Surgery) in the rotation.

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They won’t make the same kind of impact that deGrom or Syndergaard could but they still have enough in the tank to help the Yankees win a championship this season.

They’re also on teams who will clearly be sellers as the deadline approaches and would be willing to make a trade with anyone, including the Yankees. We don’t know if that’s the case with the Mets even if the Yanks offered them a trade that would be hard to turn down.

As I said before, from a pure baseball standpoint, it would make sense for the Mets to consider all their options and think about their future. However, emotions could play a part and I’m sure it would crush Mets ownership if they traded deGrom or Syndergaard across town only to watch them help the Yankees win multiple championships.

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For an organization that has suffered so much over the past 20 years and been in the shadows of the Yankees for much of their existence that would be a difficult pill to swallow.