3 Yankees trade deadline targets you’re probably not thinking about

2. Anthony Santander

Most of the Yankees’ outfield discourse thus far has centered around pure left-handed hitters like Benintendi or Happ. Gamers. Guys who know how to control the bat and get on base, with a little bit of pop mixed in.

But … who would they be replacing again? Ah, right, Joey Gallo, the purest power play of all power plays. So what if, instead of targeting solid hitters with moderate upside, the Yankees looked for switch-hitting pop?

Enter Anthony Santander, who’s killed the Yankees thus far in 2022 and would fit nicely in the Bronx if Baltimore’s willing to surrender 2.5 years of control.

Santander brings some swing and miss to the table, sure, but far less than the man he’d potentially be replacing. The potency of a non-Aaron Hicks switch-hitter for the outfield rotation is certainly enticing; the O’s slugger has 14 bombs, 39 RBI, and a 115 OPS+ so far playing his home games in a stadium where the left-field wall suddenly contracted gigantism in mid-winter.

Tony Taters would be a defensive downgrade and, who are we kidding, the O’s would probably prefer to shop him outside the AL East, especially as they approach a level of competitiveness the city hasn’t seen in ages. Whispers have been circulating about Santander’s availability in recent weeks, though, more so than Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins or the Orioles’ other stars who are under contract for quite a while. The Yankees will, at least, inquire — it would be very nice to remove him from the other side.