Yankees should explore this offseason trade with the Braves

The Yankees could do well by targeting this Braves pitcher via trade.

More. Trades! Every team needs help. Most teams can assist one another. And it’s even better when these deals go down between AL and NL teams because there’s much less of a worry that a player who is moved will come back to bite anybody. That’s why the New York Yankees need to give the Atlanta Braves a ring.

These two squads are in a very similar situation — they’re staring at the prize but can’t seem to get over the hump. The Dodgers and Cardinals have kept Atlanta from moving on in the postseason the last three years. The Astros, Rays and Red Sox have done the same to the Yankees.

So let’s join forces, ATL! We know we were your postseason kryptonite in the late ’90s, but that’s well in the past. Perhaps the Yankees and Braves can benefit by giving a couple of players a change of scenery.

Miguel Andujar for Sean Newcomb, anyone?

Newcomb, who was once a big trade piece in the Andrelton Simmons deal with the Angels, has slowly fallen out of favor with the Braves, and we’re not sure why. His rookie season wasn’t bad at all (4.32 ERA in 19 starts) and then he followed that up with a 3.90 mark in 31 games (30 starts) in 2018. But then the Braves moved him to the bullpen.

He was solid in that role (3.16 ERA in 55 games — though four were starts) in 2019, but he was shifted back to the rotation in 2020. His four starts did not go well (11.20 ERA) and then he was optioned in mid-September.

Hey! You know who else was optioned? Andujar! And his agent called out the Yankees for making the move, further proving that this relationship is on the rocks. Now, with the likely loss of Marcell Ozuna, the Braves could use some insurance at third base and in the outfield. Andujar can play both of those positions (though not incredibly well), but he can be a potent bench option because of his dangerous bat. Give him consistent playing time in this stacked lineup and Atlanta could see results very quickly.

Plus, it’s now clear the Braves didn’t want to continue to pay rising arbitration costs for Adam Duvall, who’s only 29 years old and has now been cut loose. Perhaps Andujar’s power bat fills that role more cheaply?

As for the Yankees, adding Newcomb to the pitching staff to work under Matt Blake could immensely help their situation. New York badly needs another left-handed starter or reliever who can provide aid in the back end of the rotation or the middle of the bullpen. Regardless of how they decide to deploy Newcomb, he’ll have plenty of time to hone his craft with four years of club control remaining.

Two players who have potential and have fallen out of favor with their respective franchises. Two players that fill secondary needs for other teams. It’s not farfetched and could help both sides make cost-effective additions in an offseason where nobody wants to spend.

Yankees should explore this offseason trade with the Phillies

The New York Yankees should call up the Philadelphia Phillies amid their quest to save money and see if they can steal a star pitcher.