Yankees Rumors: D’Backs’ Robbie Ray could be another potential trade target

Add Arizona left-hander Robbie Ray to the list of starting pitchers the Yankees could pursue before the July 31st trade deadline. According to Ken Rosenthal of the Atheltic, the Yanks “historically have liked” Ray and if his D’Backs’ team falls out of the Wild Card race in the next couple weeks he could be on the move.

It’s no secret the Yankees are looking to add another starter to their rotation. It’s not a matter of if but when and with just three weeks to go until the deadline talks are probably going to start heating up very soon.

The rumors have already started after it was reported on Monday that the Yankees sent their VP of Baseballs Ops Tim Naehring to Cincinnati to watch Indians ace Trevor Bauer’s start on Sunday. Naehring is GM Brian Cashman’s right-hand man so clearly, the interest in acquiring Bauer is legit.

We also know the Yanks are high on Blue Jays ace Marcus Stroman who is very likely going to be traded before the deadline since Toronto isn’t close to contending any time soon. Madison Bumgarner could be another option as could Zack Wheeler but if the price to land either of them would cost the Yankees OF Clint Frazier they’d reject the offer because they won’t trade him for a rental.

The aforementioned Robbie Ray, however, is under team control through 2020, just like Bauer and Stroman. Even though it’s doubtful the Yanks would deal Frazier who’s under team control through 2024 for only a year and a half of Ray (and rightfully so), that doesn’t mean they can’t acquire him by offering a different package.

In 19 starts so far this season the 27-year-old is 6-6 with a 3.96 ERA and 137 K’s (11.7 per 9) in 104.2 IP. He’s allowed 15 home runs and his WHIP is 1.35 which isn’t great but opponents are only hitting .227 against him. His most impressive stat is obviously his strikeout total which has to be one of the main reasons why the Yanks have always liked him as Rosenthal reported. He’s on pace for 244 this season and he’s averaging 7.6 over his last 10 starts.

As is the case with Bauer it’s hard to predict if Ray will definitely be on the move because right now his team is still in the playoff hunt despite having a record of 46-45. The Diamondbacks are 13.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West but they’re only 1.5 behind the Phillies for the second wild-card spot and two back of the Nationals for the first.

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They’re in a tricky spot because there are six teams within 2.5 games of that final spot and if we’re being realistic the D’Backs roster as currently constructed isn’t going to make a deep October run. That doesn’t mean they should give up and sell but if they wanted to sell high on Ray and get a nice haul of prospects in return for him there’s no better time do so than now.

On Tuesday Hall of Fame journalist Peter Gammons told Chris Russo on MLB Network’s “High Heat” that he thinks Ray is going to be the starter the Yankees land before the trade deadline. Personally, I’d much rather the Yanks go all in and land an ace-caliber starter like Bauer but there’s no question Ray would be a solid fallback option and help the team.

He’s better than both J.A. Happ and CC Sabathia and with ace Luis Severino still out and Domingo German potentially on an innings limit in the second half Ray would probably have a spot in the playoff rotation.