Yankees: 3 NYY trade targets who’ve been wrecked by injuries

Pretty fitting that some potential future members of the Yankees family are already battling the injury bug before they even got a chance to suit up for the Bombers.

Even in projections and prognostications, the Injured List waits for no Yankee. Unfortunate.

This trade deadline will be a bit different for Brian Cashman. Though it briefly looked like he’d have to consider selling as the high-priced Yankees plummeted towards .500, his job has now been saved (for the time being) by a solid stretch against the Blue Jays and A’s.

Now with his attention turned to shoring up the roster, this year will be unique in another key way: the bullpen isn’t really going to be the focal point of his aggression. Despite injuries (or perhaps because of them?), the Yankees now have a deeper unit than usual, and will be welcoming back players like Darren O’Day (and Justin Wilson?) in the coming weeks.

So, what’s on the to-do list? A center fielder, left fielder, or … really any outfield bat who can hit left-handed. The starting rotation, once elite, isn’t exactly stable, either. Michael King has absorbed Corey Kluber’s rotation spot, though his starts seem to last four innings maximum; Luis Severino won’t be back for a while; and Jameson Taillon is playing himself out of the picture.

We’re not sure who Cash is eyeing, but the field has been narrowed due to recent developments beyond his control. The Reds, once though to be prime sellers, likely fancy themselves as Wild Card contenders now. The Giants are much more than that; remember April when we thought we might be able to pry Kevin Gausman loose? Embarrassing for us.

Then, of course, there are the injuries, which have taken these three players off the board for us, you’d think.

Injuries will stop the Yankees from making these 3 trades.

3. Spencer Turnbull

Spencer Turnbull first piqued our attention (along with Jose Ureña) when he rolled up to Yankee Stadium and shut down our “vaunted” lineup before faltering at the tail end of the outing and allowing four earned runs in five innings. This was one day after the Yankees put up 10 runs on Tarik Skubal and Detroit’s ‘pen, so we were impressed.

Needless to say, Turnbull only got stronger from there (his third start of the season), posting a no-hitter in Seattle and helping his Tigers sweep the Yankees at Comerica Park later in the month. Once barely on the trade radar, he’d fully vaulted to the top of many big boards…

…but then he got hurt. Turnbull’s most recent start was a four-inning outing in Chicago against the White Sox, where he used his trademark high heat to limit the surging Sox to one run before being pulled.

The righty’s arsenal looks a lot like what we were told we were getting in Jameson Taillon: power fastball high, sharp breaker, well-located plus stuff. Unfortunately, he suffered a right forearm strain on June 5, hasn’t begun to throw yet, and will be on the shelf well past the All-Star break.

Without any assurances about his durability moving forward, we don’t think Cashman will pull the trigger, especially with such a spotty track record with pitching acquisitions already.

And speaking of injured Tigers on similar timelines…

1. Andrew Benintendi

Yeah, we’re probably barking at a fantasy here anyway, but Andrew Benintendi would’ve been an awesome lefty bat to have in this outfield rotation and a pitch-perfect way to strike back at Boston.

The Royals didn’t acquire Benintendi this offseason just to let him go so soon, and they’re also one of very few teams that added veterans in an attempt to win instead of tank, but … come onnnnn … just let us have hiiiiiimmmmm …

What little chance the Yankees had of dealing for Benintendi bit the dust when he mysteriously hit the IL with a rib fracture last week. The injury prevented him from facing the Red Sox (though the Royals took two out of three anyway), and has also removed him from the lineup as KC comes to the Bronx this week. No way! Something breaking the Bombers’ way? Benny can’t crush us to powder with his biceps while rocking powder blue? Don’t hate that.

Not quite a center fielder, but certainly a lefty masher whose level swing is well-tailored for the short porch, Benintendi would’ve been an excellent culture-changer and imperfect fit in the outfield for the Yankees. It probably wasn’t going to work out anyway without a lot of goading and an overpay, and Cashman is likely looking elsewhere, like Pittsburgh, for his contact bats. The rib injury closes the book here, though, long before chapter two.

Yankees: 1 Royals trade target NYY should watch and 1 they should ignore

The New York Yankees are going to have to make some decisions with which Kansas City Royals trade targets they eye this week.