Yankees: Insider’s trade sends Gleyber Torres, Luke Voit to Oakland

The New York Yankees have had plenty of disappointing performances this season, but two of the more seismic falls from grace have been that of middle infielder Gleyber Torres and slugging first baseman Luke Voit.

Torres has been in a funk all season long, and Voit has struggled with injuries.

After hitting 38 home runs with a .278 average and 128 OPS+ in 2019, Torres has just 11 home runs, a .257 average, and an OPS+ of 96 in 161 games between 2020 and 2021.

Voit led the majors in home runs with 22 during last year’s shortened season, but he has just 11 in 67 games this year while losing playing time to Anthony Rizzo.

Considering that both of these players look like they are in need of a fresh start, and when factoring in the notion that the AL West is getting even more competitive, the Oakland Athletics could be a team looking to sell off some pieces and retool in the offseason. Could they swing a deal for these two players?

MLB insider Jim Bowden created a trade proposal that would send Torres and Voit to the A’s in The Athletic. Who would the Yankees get in return in this hypothetical swap? None other than All-Star first baseman Matt Olson. If they are unable to retain Rizzo, this would be a slam-dunk acquisition.

This Yankees-A’s trade sends Luke Voit and Gleyber Torres to Oakland

Even if you take the bat out of it, Olson would be a tremendous acquisition. Olson played all 162 games in 2018 and hasn’t missed a game in 2020 or 2021. That consistency paired with defensive skills that have helped him take home two Gold Glove awards show that he can still make a positive impact on any given contest despite a poor day at the plate.

At the end of the day, however, the Yankees would be trading these two for Olson’s bat. With an average of 40 home runs per 162 games, a career-high 38 this season, and a 154 OPS+ topped only by his 59-game rookie season, Olson’s swing would be perfect for Yankee Stadium.

One of Olson’s best features is that he is completely platoon-proof. The only other left-handed batters to hit 21 home runs in a single season against left-handed pitching are Barry Bonds, who did it when he hit 46 bombs in 2002, and Ken Griffey Jr., who hit 49 and 56 home runs in the two seasons he achieved this milestone.

Olson managed to join those two in this elite club while hitting over 50% of his dingers off of southpaws.

With Voit’s value starting to slowly ebb away due to his health and Torres in the middle of his second-straight disappointing season, this deal allows the Yankees to upgrade at first base with a new lefty bat and elite defender, all while freeing up the spot to bolster the middle infield with someone that is more consistent in the field than Gleyber.

If the A’s start to sell some players, Brian Cashman needs to be the first guy on the line.

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