4 trade targets Yankees must avoid at 2022 deadline

3. Amir Garrett

Mea culpa on Amir Garrett, folks. In previous projections, it was very easy to see the ex-Red as an ideal fit for New York. He can bring the heat on the mound, sure, but the St. John’s basketball alum and Victorville, CA native can also bring the spice to any and all dugout fights. When the Yankees needed both a seventh inning guy and an injection of fire, Garrett seemed like a natural instigator.

This offseason, though, he was swapped for Mike Minor and his $10 million salary, a confusing “win never” move from Cincinnati that resulted in a reset for the Bombers. Perhaps, by the trade deadline, Garrett would have established himself once again as a prime target?

Not so much.

Only recently back from injury, the 30-year-old Garrett has posted a 6.75 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 14.2 innings pitched (with 18 Ks, if you really want to believe). Garrett hasn’t thrown nearly enough this season to give Statcast their requisite data, but so far, he isn’t spinning the fastball at the necessary level, either, clocking in at the 40th percentile.

This doesn’t appear to be a fluke, either, or sudden-onset struggles Garrett can blame on injury. After his exceptional shortened 2020, he put up a 6.00+ ERA last season, too, in 47.2 innings (6.04, to be exact). Garrett might be a buy-low bullpen salve for someone else, and he’s controllable through 2023. If the Yankees go ‘pen, though, they need to take the chance on a “buy high” option; otherwise, rolling with Sears and Ron Marinaccio would be a preferable risk.

2. Jose Quintana

I know, I know, I just said the Yankees shouldn’t swing for the fences on a starting pitcher at the deadline, and should instead target a reliable innings-eater. The problem with Jose Quintana is twofold, though:

1. He’s been red hot in 2022, and will command a premium even though everyone knows a regression is coming.
2. Like our friend Andrew Heaney, Quintana hasn’t even met that low baseline of “reliability” in the past. There’s a good chance he can’t eat innings because he can’t get anyone out.

Through 12 starts, Quintana holds a 3.53 ERA for the surprisingly frisky Pirates (just ask the Dodgers), but possesses a far less impressive 1.33 WHIP. Perhaps some of those pesky hits and walks would just disappear if he was missing bats, but he … isn’t; Quintana’s racked up just 50 strikeouts in 58.2 innings.

Anyone who trades for Quintana isn’t allowed to pretend to be dismayed when his ERA and other impressive numbers start to regress, considering it’s right there in the publicly available data. You don’t even have to dive into the secret data front offices hoard to see it!

Quintana’s peripherals are across-the-board lacking. His curve and fastball don’t spin (18th and 11th percentile, respectively). Batters hit the ball hard off him (44th percentile hard-hit rate, 14th percentile expected batting average, 22nd percentile expected slugging percentage). He induces chases (84th percentile), but also walks a good degree of batters (51st percentile), a number that’ll only go up if they ever stop chasing! Dang.

Don’t buy into the Quintana hype. Even if you find yourself thinking, “What’s the worst that could happen?” you only have to think back one year to when Heaney arrived, wrecked the second half, and departed. It only takes one weak link if the link is that weak.

1. Tommy Pham

Before you slap me upside the head, just listen. LISTEN. OK, you’re slapping me anyway. Should’ve seen that coming.

The 34-year-old Pham has been more infamous than effective in 2022, leading the charge in the Great Fantasy Football Debate of ’21-’22. The Reds outfielder’s open-palm smack of Joc Pederson for stashing players on his IR did give us one great moment (Mike Trout almost admitting live on ESPN that the ESPN Fantasy Football app sucks), but the whirlwind of chatter is the type of thing a team should only endure if the production is top-notch.

Spoiler: the production isn’t top-notch.

Though Pham has heated up a bit, hitting .315 with a .556 slugging percentage in his past 15 games (perhaps seeing red because of the beef), his overall season slash line leaves plenty to be desired (.247/.346/.418). Add in his status as an aging disruptor, and the Yankees can probably find outfield depth elsewhere. Trading for Andrew Benintendi or Ian Happ would be vastly preferable, and while Pham would likely provide more production than an Estevan Florial promotion, at least there’s very little chance that would upset the apple cart.

Pham stings the baseball (95th percentile average exit velocity, 89th maximum exit velocity), but he also strikes out regularly (34th percentile) and surprisingly hasn’t been able to translate his hard liners into an impressive expected batting average (58th percentile). Add in his defensive lapses (41st percentile in outs above average, 29th in outfield jump), and Pham would be unlikely to provide rock-solid play from a fourth outfielder position. There’s too much Joey Gallo in his game (the hard-hit/xBA disparity), and there’s too much attitude to be satisfied with being buried on the bench.

Not every 2022 Yankee has to absolutely sting the baseball. Some just have to play elite defense and put bat on ball (Benny). Pham would have been a better fit for the dysfunctional 2021 version of this roster.

3 Red Sox players Yankees fans will hopefully watch leave at trade deadline

The New York Yankees and their fans hate the Boston Red Sox, so hopefully these three division rivals will be gone by the trade deadline.