Yankees: Could Joc Pederson still be an option after NYY makes other moves?

The New York Yankees don’t need a left fielder right now, but assuming they make a big trade for a No. 2 starter, we have to assume Clint Frazier would more than likely be involved in any deal. We’ve gone over trade packages for Luis Castillo and Kyle Hendricks, and it’s hard to envision that not being the case.

There’s also the possibility they trade Mike Tauchman if they can get their hands on another reliever, since the bullpen has hardly been addressed this offseason. If that’s the case, bringing back Brett Gardner would seemingly be an option to fix left field if we’re going to project Frazier and Tauchman leaving via trades.

But that won’t be enough, which leads us to believe if the Yankees continue to improve their roster via trades, then there will be room for a bigger addition in free agency. Specifically, a left-handed addition.

Joc Pederson, anyone?

The former Dodgers lefty slugger remains unsigned, and he would be a great fit in New York. He’s got a penchant for delivering in high-pressure situations in the postseason and he can profile as a starter or a platoon option. He’s had the latter role in LA for the majority of his career and he’s managed to play in at least 137 games four out of five seasons from 2015-2019.

We know he doesn’t fit the profile as a contact bat, but his lefty power is something the Yankees lineup could use, since they’re lacking bats from that side of the plate. Additionally, he can, if need be, play all the outfield positions (though he’s best suited in the corner spots) and has some experience at first base.

Again, the only reason we’re mentioning this is because we know the Yankees likely have a number of trades on the way and our best guess is that they will be dealing from their outfield depth. Another issue is Pederson’s price tag, which could potentially put the Bombers over the luxury tax threshold depending on what the situation is after these hypothetical trades.

In this scenario, we’re looking about 3-4 steps ahead, but given Pederson’s market has yet to come into focus, it wouldn’t be insane if he’s still available by the time the Yankees are nearly done putting the finishing touches on the roster.

Adding his bat, postseason experience, and versatility would help the Yankees offense and defense immensely, because we can safely predict they’ll be dealing with some sort of injury troubles in 2021.

Yankees: This Kyle Hendricks trade with Cubs should get the job done

The New York Yankees need to make a move for a starting pitcher and Chicago Cubs ace Kyle Hendricks fits the bill almost too perfectly.