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Yankees: Trade candidates that could be had before July 1

Thomas Carannante|
KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 21: Robbie Grossman #8 of the Detroit Tigers walks back to the dugout after being tagged out by Whit Merrifield #15 of the Kansas City Royals in the 4th inning at Kauffman Stadium on May 21, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 21: Robbie Grossman #8 of the Detroit Tigers walks back to the dugout after being tagged out by Whit Merrifield #15 of the Kansas City Royals in the 4th inning at Kauffman Stadium on May 21, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)
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Yankees
Robbie Grossman #8 of the Detroit Tigers (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

1. Robbie Grossman

The moment that sent the Yankees into their current stretch of awfulness came nearly two weeks ago when Robbie Grossman cranked a walk-off two-run homer in a controversial at-bat against Justin Wilson. That started shifting the tides toward a Tigers sweep of the Bombers. And it happened.

Grossman might be the best player on the Tigers when it comes to all-around play. He’s a switch hitter and is an on-base machine. He can play both corner outfield spots at a high level and take over in center field if need be. He’s now slashing .227/.347/.379 with 28 runs scored, 6 home runs, 25 RBI and eight stolen bases.

The Yankees could use the switch-hitting versatility, the defensive flexibility, and the aggression on the base paths. Grossman is 31 years old and is in the first season of a two-year, $10 million contract. It fits the Yankees’ budget and likely the cost in a trade package. Grossman’s been slumping for a few weeks now (he was hitting .259 with an .816 OPS on May 23), so it’s clear his price tag isn’t increasing by any means.

This move could help New York lengthen its lineup and avoid manager Aaron Boone having to use Frazier, Andújar and Wade in the outfield as much, since those guys are either bad defenders or not natural outfielders. Grossman’s 2 Defensive Runs Saved will be a marked improvement over what we’ve been forced to watch … like Andújar missing a ball that had a 95% catch rate (according to statcast) and Frazier having to run a country mile and dive at the last second to haul in a fly ball simply because he doesn’t take good routes.

Also, we’re sure the Tigers would like to free up a spot to give more playing time to guys like Akil Baddoo and Harold Castro. They have no use for him long-term and could pluck a solid mid-level prospect from the Yankees in return.

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