Yankees: 3 underrated options Yankees must target at 2020 deadline

Mike Minor #42 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the top of the fifth inning at Globe Life Field on August 28, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. All players are wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. The day honoring Jackie Robinson, traditionally held on April 15, was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Mike Minor #42 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the top of the fifth inning at Globe Life Field on August 28, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. All players are wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. The day honoring Jackie Robinson, traditionally held on April 15, was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
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Miguel Castro #50 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the Washington Nationals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 14, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. The game was a continuation of a suspended game from August 9, 2020. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

2. Miguel Castro

The Baltimore Orioles have a lot of relief help for the Yankees. Seriously!

As the Orioles begin to slip out of contention in the AL East and likely absorb reality a bit, they should be entertaining any and all trade options.

We wish we could’ve brought former Yankees lefty Richard Bleier back before he was dumped off to the Marlins, but the O’s still have one or two serious options who could help the Yanks. At this point in Baltimore’s rebuild — which is going well! — the team should not be shying away from dealing within the division simply because they’re helping out their dreaded rivals. The previous Orioles administration flipped Eduardo Rodriguez to Boston for Andrew Miller when they had a chance to contend, and sold Zack Britton to the Yanks in 2018; wouldn’t they be keen on absorbing Yankees assets one more time?

We liked Mychal Givens a lot, but he’s a Colorado Rockie now. Luckily, we also have a thing for the thundering peripherals and nasty cutting action of Miguel Castro, who never really gets brought up in these types of conversations.

Castro, an underrated wild man in the mold of Tampa Bay’s Diego Castillo, has a remarkable 24 K in 15.2 innings of action, and could likely be harnessed with a dedicated pitching coach by his side. Two years after striking out only 57 men in 86.1 innings pitched, clearly something has clicked in the very controllable 25-year-old.

Givens was always the most likely arm to go, but Castro could be an interesting role of the dice, and a project for beyond 2020.

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