4 Yankees-Mets trades that could work as rumors swirl

1. Yankees-Brandon Nimmo Trade

Well, well, well. We’re going off the board here.

If the ultimate ability is availability, Brandon Nimmo doesn’t have it. The uber-talented center fielder and elite leadoff man/OBP linchpin played in 92 games last season, following a 69-game campaign in 2019.

In that limited time, though, he did put up 3.6 more WAR and an OPS+ of 132, which follows marks of 145, 111 and 148.

Somehow, Nimmo — who loves to get hit with a baseball more than anybody — is a free agent after the 2022 season. We haven’t heard anything about his potential availability, but he switched agents to Scott Boras several weeks ago ahead of post-lockout extension negotiations. Will the Mets be willing to pay up? He’s the team’s projected starting left fielder entering 2022, and it stands to reason the Mets have soured far more on McNeil … but maybe something flips if the negotiations go poorly and the team realizes there’s no way they can pay Nimmo what he wants next winter for what has amounted to part-time duty more often than not these past few seasons.

Cash would be remiss to not at least ask, even though there won’t be a Boras-led extension in the Bronx, either.

Despite his health limitations, the Yankees will have to pay up to add Nimmo as a pitch-perfect Aaron Hicks replacement plan for one season and one season only. This conversation starts with Oswald Peraza or Luis Gil as the headliner, depending on Cashman’s negotiating skills, and includes another top-10 prospect to boot.

We don’t make the rules, and expect the Mets to lay down the law here. But it’s worth asking: how much do you really love your oft-injured, out-of-position outfielder on the verge of a massive payday? Anything we can do to help?

3 surprise trades Yankees can make when MLB Lockout ends

The New York Yankees can pull off these three surprise trades when the MLB Lockout ends and they can legally fill their gaps again.