4 trades Yankees can make with AL East rivals after lockout

Last offseason when the New York Yankees traded Adam Ottavino to the Boston Red Sox, most fans — on both sides! — were floored. A trade between the game’s most hated rivals and it involved an impact player?! Sure, Ottavino was on the decline, but he’s still an asset.

Now all we need is the Yankees and Mets to make a deal in order to break any and all barriers we previously thought existed on the trade market …

But seriously, did the Ottavino trade open up the door for more inter-division trades between the Yankees and their rivals? If you think about it, the Yankees aren’t who they used to be. They’re no longer a behemoth teams are afraid to make even better (although we’d still argue there’s a Yankee Tax on the trade market because they still technically hold onto a shred of that reputation of yesteryear).

If opposing GMs see an opportunity to stick a player they don’t want on the Yanks and get something of value in return, why wouldn’t they do it? In case you haven’t noticed, a good amount of the trades general manager Brian Cashman has made haven’t worked.

If you look at the history, the O’s, Rays and Blue Jays aren’t necessarily fearful of trading with the Yankees either. Baltimore sent Zack Britton to New York; Tampa and New York just made a deal for Mike Ford last year and the two were involved in a three-way trade with the Diamondbacks (Brandon Drury deal, disgusting) back in 2018; and Toronto sent JA Happ to the Bronx back in 2018, too.

OK! So what deals can the Yankees potentially explore with their division rivals when the lockout ends?

These 4 trades between the Yankees and their AL East rivals aren’t out of the question.

4. Yankees-Orioles Trade: Jorge Mateo

You might remember Jorge Mateo! In fact, you should! The former Yankees top prospect was sent to the Oakland Athletics years ago in the (failed) Sonny Gray trade and has bounced around the league ever since, making stops in Oakland, San Diego and Baltimore.

He’s currently with the Orioles, but outside of filling innings on a barren MLB roster, what’s his actual future role in Baltimore, especially if this team has no plans to compete in the next few years?

In New York, Mateo could be a super utility player thanks to his experience at second base, shortstop, third base, and all three outfield spots. And he’s got an overall .988 fielding percentage across 111 games in various roles.

Depending on how the Yankees address their infield and outfield, acquiring Mateo as a bench piece to fill in all over the diamond and provide speed everywhere seems like a prudent move. Mateo was an above-average hitting in 32 games with the O’s last year (102 OPS+!) after coming over from the Pads and batted .280 in that short stint.

If the Yankees shift Gio Urshela to shortstop and put DJ LeMahieu at third base, they’re going to need some depth there after trading Tyler Wade. Mateo could be a worthwhile fit.

3. Yankees-Blue Jays Trade: Ross Stripling

Remember when Ross Stripling yelled at then-Blue Jays third baseman Joe Panik in the middle of a game for making an error against the Yankees? Then ended up giving up the game-winning runs en route to a loss? Intense stuff.

Though Panik is no longer with the team, perhaps Toronto, whose rotation and bullpen was revamped before the trade deadline and in free agency before the lockout despite the loss of Robbie Ray, might be willing to move Stripling and his ~$4.4 million salary for 2022.

The right-hander is a classic multi-purpose arm, having ample experience in the rotation and bullpen since debuting back in 2016. With Hyun-Jin Ryu, Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman and Alek Manoah making up the first four arms in the rotation, do the Jays want to upgrade over Stripling for that fifth spot? Do they think they can do better by acquiring someone on the trade market? Or what if they just wanted to spend more and went after someone like Carlos Rodón or Yusei Kikuchi instead?

Holding onto Stripling still might be a good idea to give the pitching staff as much depth as possible, but maybe the Yankees have a prospect or MLB asset that Toronto prefers over Stripling. On the other hand, Stripling can give New York a viable spot starter and multi-inning reliever to take pressure off the top of the rotation and back end of the bullpen, both of which faltered due to fatigue last year.

Crazier things have happened than two division rivals making a trade for a pitcher who has a career 3.97 ERA.

1. Red Sox: Christian Vazquez

Last offseason, the Yankees pawned off a player — who they felt was making too much money and hindering their financial flexibility — to the Red Sox. Maybe Boston will attempt the same this offseason?

Like the last scenario, this would probably require a preceding or following Sánchez trade. Could Christian Vazquez, who we’d like to believe was screwed out of a $1 million bonus after falling four at-bats short of the incentive threshold in 2021, be on the block this offseason, especially after it was rumored he was nearly dealt to the Rays in 2020?

Outside of a really good shortened 2020, above-average full 2019 season, and killing the Yankees in the 2018 ALDS, Vazquez doesn’t have a ton to offer. Sánchez is much better than him offensively, but, again, the defense is a factor here, because if Sánchez isn’t pulling his weight in the batter’s box, then his detrimental defense is costing the Yankees runs.

Vazquez put up a 1.3 dWAR in 2021 along with 5 Defensive Runs Saved. He even dabbled at first, second and third base at various parts of the year (though most of his work came behind the plate). He’s also possesses a demonstrative personality that the Yankees’ roster is lacking. But is that worth paying him $7 million per season as opposed to Sánchez’s ~$8 million? That’s for the front office to decide.

But after a down 2021, there’s no doubt the Yankees would have to surrender very little for Vazquez in such an event. Or, hey, maybe they ask the Red Sox to eat, say $2-3 million of his salary and use him as the backup catcher? That might be a little farfetched, but if the Yankees are trying to get better, that’ll help!

Truth be told, we don’t envision a Yankees-Red Sox trade, but this is the only match that might make a shred of sense if the two sides were to talk about anything. In any event, expect Sánchez to be the starting catcher next year because that’s just what’s probably going to happen.

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