Another potential Yankees trade target bites the dust after Tigers injury

When the New York Yankees signed Paul Goldschmidt at the end of December, it felt like they were one third base addition away from completing a fairly successful offseason/Juan Soto pivot.

Alas, it turns out all that cautioning we did about why they shouldn't pursue Nolan Arenado was all for naught, considering they didn't seem terribly intent on pursuing anyone, let alone overpaying for three years of the Cardinals star.

At the time, though, we thought it might be worthwhile to pluck a lower-tier name off someone else's overflowing roster, perhaps even a player who could rotate around the diamond in a pinch. Pairing Oswaldo Cabrera with a more experienced option and having multiple utility choices felt wise. Having a bench with intention is always something the Yankees could do better with, rather than simply cramming all their non-starters in there and calling it a day.

In that vein, Matt Vierling of the Tigers felt like a nice fit, especially after Detroit signed Gleyber Torres and seemed intent on adding Alex Bregman, too. Vierling, who played left, center, right, and third (48 games) last season, racked up 3.0 bWAR in the process, distinguishing himself from his Phillies days as a clutch and somewhat potent bat (16 home runs, 107 OPS+), as well as a sturdy defender. Insuring above-average production would've gone a long way towards solidifying this Yankees lineup.

If that possibility hadn't already fizzled out weeks ago, the idea of a Vierling trade has now officially chewed the curb. Bregman went to the Red Sox. The Yankees vowed to stay internal. And Vierling suffered a right shoulder injury early in camp (are we sure he's not a Yankee?) that will require further testing.

Tigers' Matt Vierling no longer an infield trade option for Yankees

Chin up, Tigers fans! At least Javier Báez is back, too!

Vierling is the exact type of player the Yankees hope they have in Cabrera, but it'd be nice to have a veteran version waiting in the wings. Sturdiness is undervalued by these current Yankees. So is offensive/defensive depth.

Vierling's injury likely marks the end of any theoretical pursuit, at least until the trade deadline, and represents the clearest sign yet that these discussions were never destined to advance.