Yankees: 3 midseason trade targets fans are already itching for

We’re not saying Yankees fans are impatient, but they did use a 6-11 start as the impetus to call WFAN and start pitching Mike Trout trades.

Remaining calm is not our strong suit.

All that being said, though…this team has looked awful. Awful! Awful, top to bottom. There is no shame in being frustrated by what we’ve watched daily thus far in 2021.

So…who else can we watch? Is there any chance Hal Steinbrenner is so frustrated by the early returns on his investment that he allows Brian Cashman to pass that dreaded tax threshold after all? Maybe he cuts bait on a few more expensive assets midseason in order to get the job done, like Gary Sanchez and Aaron Hicks?

We hate to burst your bubble, but Trout’s not coming our way anytime soon, whether his Angels are pseudo-contenders in the AL West or somewhat for real. In fact, there are precious few teams “tanking” this season, and one of them resides within our division (though if somebody wants John Means, they’re really going to have to come and get him).

The Colorado Rockies are Trade Partner 1A on this list, and really they’re the only team we can reliably guarantee will be calling up contenders this summer.

The other targets listed here are pure somewhat-realistic guesses who also fall in the range of fans’ high expectations. They’re not quite Mike Trout, but spend a few minutes talking to any Yankees fan, and you’ll hear their names come up.

Hear us, Bombers? Get over .500 soon so we can stop listing these players off.

Yankees fans are already aiming for these 3 trade targets.

3. German Marquez (and Trevor Story?!)

If Gleyber Torres doesn’t start displaying power by midseason or fielding his position at an average level, then the Trevor Story conversations are going to get louder.

After all, the Rockies know they held onto Nolan Arenado past his expiration date and ended up getting…maybe eight cents on the dollar for him? Why wouldn’t they go all out to deal Story at the deadline instead of losing him for nothing this offseason?

If Torres rebounds, though, there’s no room for him. If Torres doesn’t? Well, then he’s on the table in a potentially massive Story-German Marquez trade that could also include Clint Frazier, if he remains passive and unworkable.

Now you have our attention.

Marquez is slated to be the premier pitcher available on the market this summer considering Luis Castillo’s confusing velocity drop (and the Reds’ contention in the bleak NL Central?). The 26-year-old scuffled in his last full season in 2019 (4.76 ERA, 107 ERA+), though his struggles were relative. After all, that’s above-average and not dreadful for a Coors Field resident.

We’re not positive he’ll be worth the upgrade with the package he’ll cost, but also, this just screams “Joe Musgrove acquisition” to us. Somebody’s going to be able to take Marquez to the next level once he escapes the Mile High air, and if the Yankees are in a position to actually move up the standings at this point, maybe they’ll take the plunge.

If they’re stuck around .500, no dice, though. It’ll be all rentals.

2. Corbin Burnes

The best pitcher in baseball? Yeah, we can pencil him in, I guess.

If Corbin Burnes has “video game numbers,” then all video games are impossibly fruitless. Through four starts, the 26-year-old has struck out 40 men and walked zero (though he’s hit three batters), posting an 0.37 ERA in the process and becoming must-watch television.

He’s under control until winter 2025, and the Brewers aren’t exactly terrible, but if this insane hot streak keeps up, they’ll have to change their calculus. Will Burnes be the centerpiece of their next championship team? Their next World Series participant? Or should they sell extremely high?

After all, pitching doesn’t get any better than this.

Burnes and Brandon Woodruff entered this season as a duo in Milwaukee, and one we could’ve been convinced would go in any number of directions. Both locked down long-term? Sure, we could see it. Both traded? Yeah, also possible. Did the Brewers really add anyone on offense, after all? Both busts? Couldn’t rule it out! Not much of a track record there.

Milwaukee would probably be easier swayed to participate in a Burnes trade right this very moment than they will be in July. This is also another one that will certainly cost Frazier, Clarke Schmidt, Deivi Garcia and the whole Scranton Gang.

We’ll need another few months of data, but it could be worth it, though. Hard to get a better No. 2 than the very best.