Yankees: 3 trades NYY should pursue with Cincinnati Reds

2. Trade for Nick Senzel

Could the Yankees poach a very recent top pick in Nick Senzel?

Playing the role of right-handed Brett Gardner for the Yankees…former second overall pick (in 2016!) Nick Senzel?

Widely rumored to be available, Senzel would be another prime example of the Yankees’ willingness to take a chance on talent, and having the former Red paired with Mike Tauchman as the team’s fourth and fifth outfielders would shave some cash off the budget and provide a righty-lefty tandem.

So far, Senzel’s MLB career doesn’t exactly live up to his minor-league exploits or University of Tennessee stardom, and for that, I cannot begin to even Volunteer an explanation. But there’s got to be untapped potential here. Senzel was thought of as a strong bat-to-ball guy with moderate power and solid defense, and he raked at the minor-league level, hitting .321 and .310 in his two full seasons with .391 and .378 OBPs.

In the bigs, though, his first full season featured a .256 mark with 12 homers, and he didn’t place in the Rookie of the Year balloting, and his follow-up was a disaster (.186 in 23 games during the year from hell).

At this point, the Reds probably wouldn’t surrender Senzel at a bargain-basement rate simply because he was so recently a crown jewel of their system. That being said, his value has obviously depreciated over the past two seasons, and he might only cost a 40-man top-10 pitching prospect (Vizcaino or Gomez), plus a back-end top 30 guy. Honestly, at this point? I’d rather have Miguel Andujar on the roster, and would not include his elite bat in an attempt to trade for Senzel. But others may disagree.