Yankees: 4 strategic trades NYY should pursue this offseason

Whether or not the New York Yankees reach the playoffs, the club will need to address certain deficiencies in its roster for 2022.

The position holes they will want to fill include catcher, starting and relief pitching, and the outfield (left field and center). The team will probably want to acquire a new shortstop during the offseason as well.

The Yanks are likely to explore the high end of the free-agent market, with shortstop being a high priority (e.g., Marcus Semien or Carlos Correa). If the Bronx Bombers fail to land the person they desire at a fair price at shortstop, they could look for a short-term fill-in for Anthony Volpe via free agency or trade — or they could do with those whom they already have (Tyler Wade, Andrew Velazquez, and Gio Urshela) to buy time until Volpe is ready.

In addition to several established Yankee players who could be included in trades, the Boys in Pinstripes have a strong group of prospects to create attractive trade packages. Given the Yanks’ needed areas of improvement, who should the Bombers pursue in the trade market?

Here are four players on other teams who have performed well, have yet to reach their ceiling, and might be able to be acquired through trades without giving up an arm and a leg.

The Yankees should pursue these 4 strategic trades.

4. Cubs C Willson Contreras

Unfortunately, very few quality catchers are hitting free agency this winter or are expected to be available for trades at a reasonable cost. However, the Chicago Cubs, who are rebuilding their roster, might be willing to part with catcher Willson Contreras during this offseason. Contreras will be entering his age-30 season next year.

Like Gary Sanchez, he is in his third and final year of arbitration, and this would be a good year for the Cubs to trade him if the team wishes to receive players of value in return. Since the Cubs are in a rebuilding mode, they might be interested in some of the Yanks’ prospects along with an established player. Contreras earned slightly more money than Sanchez ($6.35 million) in 2021.

Contreras is a two-time All-Star and has played in the postseason, including the 2016 World Series, which the Cubbies won. Batting from the right side, he has produced a slash line of .225/.330/.409 in 2021, including 18 home runs and 43 RBI. Contreras has a .752 OPS over the last two seasons, and, unlike Sanchez, he is also a solid defensive catcher (.993 fielding and only 3 passed balls in 2021). His WAR is 3.5 this year, which is significantly better than Sanchez’s WAR of 0.9.

Good backstops who can play well on both sides of the ball are scarce. Contreras would be a considerable upgrade at catcher for the Yanks. He would help the team win more games.

2. D-Backs OF Ketel Marte

Ketel Marte has been with the Arizona Diamondbacks since 2017. In 2019, he raked a .329/.389/.592 slash line with a .981 OPS. He hit 32 home runs, drove in 92 RBI, made the All-Star team, and was fourth in MVP voting in the NL that year. Despite battling health issues in 2021, the switch-hitting Marte has 12 home runs, 45 RBI, and a .917 OPS in 76 games and 285 at-bats.

Marte plays well on defense, too. Although he is primarily a centerfielder, he also can play second base and shortstop. He would be a superb replacement for Aaron Hicks. Marte is under team control for another three years and won’t break Hal Steinbrenner’s bank.

The Diamondbacks have had a disastrous year and, like the Cubs, are seeking to rebuild their team. If they hope to get players of value in trades, this would be the year to shop Marte. He will turn 28 in October, and he has several years of solid play ahead of him. Arizona, of course, will expect quality players in return.

1. Cardinals OF Tyler O’Neill

Whether Brett Gardner will return next year is up in the air. The future of Clint Frazier with the Yanks is even more doubtful at this point as well. Thus, it is likely that the Yanks will be seeking a supplementary left fielder this offseason to split reps as Joey Gallo, Aaron Judge and “CF TBD” float around the outfield.

An excellent candidate that American League fans may be unfamiliar with is Tyler O’Neill. The 26-year-old has been with the St. Louis Cardinals during the last four years. He has been playing under the radar during that time.

However, O’Neill has truly blossomed during the 2021 season. He is raking a .281/.350/.526 slash line that includes 26 home runs and 61 RBI. The righty has an OPS of .876, and he received a Gold Glove in 2020. O’Neill has an impressive 5.2 WAR this year to boot.

This left-field candidate is arbitration-eligible for 2022, and he won’t become a free agent until 2025. Thus, O’Neill is clearly affordable. Given his 2021 breakout year, the Cardinals will want a valuable trade package in return. Of course, this assumes that the Cardinals will be open to trading him at this early point in his career. Still, given his tremendous upside and promise, the Yanks should inquire about his availability. The Bombers would be extremely fortunate to acquire him.

The Yankees have clearly underperformed this year, primarily because several players who had done well in the past turned out to be major disappointments. The Yanks can significantly improve their 2021 record by releasing certain players and replacing them with new players through free agency and trades. Let’s hope that the organization makes intelligent decisions and acquires the highest quality players possible during the offseason.