4 under-the-radar trade candidates Yankees should pursue this offseason

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The New York Yankees must, must, must enter 2024 with a revamped offense, and with a weak free agent class of hitters, the trade market marks their best chance to address their underwhelming roster.

Balance is the name of the game; if the Yankees' braintrust can find left-handed hitters with light-tower power, the fan base would be forever indebted to them. A few OBP-forward agitators would be nice, too, and the St. Louis Cardinals and Yankees will be linked together daily until the conclusion of the offseason.

But, beyond Brendan Donovan and Juan Soto, there are plenty of pivots available to the Yankees -- far more than there are in free agency. If you're not comfortable committing to Cody Bellinger long-term (and we aren't), then it's Matt Chapman or glue guys. That's a bleak reality. The trade market, like an iceberg, reaches further below the surface, which is where this front office used to do its best work.

If Brian Cashman can keep his foot out of his mouth long enough not to offend these players, their agents, and their families, the Yankees might just be in business here.

All names below have been mentioned on MLB Trade Rumors' Top 25 Offseason Trade Candidates (and 'Others of Note' section).

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Brewers reliever Devin Williams (expensive), Marlins' Josh Bell, Mets' Jeff McNeill (maybe two years ago), Rays' Harold Ramirez

4 surprise trade candidates Yankees should be all over

Luis Robert Jr., Chicago White Sox

No, Luis Robert Jr. is not a lefty. Half of this list is composed of powerful non-lefties who can change the trajectory of any game with one swing of the bat, no questions asked. You know how you balance that out? Get a switch-hitting second baseman like Jorge Polanco while jettisoning Gleyber Torres. There. Problem solved.

Regardless of handedness, Robert Jr. should be the first name considered if things go south in the Yankees' Juan Soto chase. So far this offseason, it's been too much Cease and not enough Robert when insiders examine the groundswell of Chicago White Sox-related muck, but if any team is in need of a total teardown, it's those guys. Lou Bob finally broke out last summer with a menacing 38 homers, 5.0 bWAR, and a 128 OPS+ that landed him a breathtaking stint in the Home Run Derby. He's under control on a reasonable deal through 2025, with team options the next two seasons. If the Sox want to get serious about jumpstarting something, trading Robert Jr. needs to be on their radar, if not in their manifest.

Christopher Morel, Chicago Cubs

Morel, who resides on the other side of Chicago, feels like a budding terror in Robert's mold. Last season's most electric Cubs moments all seemed to fall on his shoulders, as the breakout slugger served as a jolt of walk-off energy on several occasions, circling the bases with glee.

Unfortunately for the Cubbies, he doesn't 100% have a position at the moment, and is being treated as an OF/DH until his trade market develops. If the Yankees operate under the assumption that Giancarlo Stanton will be injured again -- and Brian Cashman certainly seems keen on doing so! -- there will be plenty of available reps for Morel, either in left field early in the campaign or at the DH position when Stanton's season is put on pause.

Ultimately, Morel was worth only 1.2 bWAR last season, though he provided more intangibles than that along the way. His 26 homers would've ranked second on the 2023 Yankees, and he only logged 388 at-bats before potentially playing his way out of town, depending on how booming the Cubs' vaunted offseason goes.

If the Yankees watch Chicago beat them to the punch on Juan Soto and settle for Morel, that would be a bleak outcome. But there's no reason both men can't be Bombers. Seriously. Watch Morel's 2023 highlights and his reactions. It looks like he's playing an entirely different sport than whatever last year's Yankees were attempting.

Mike Yastrzemski, San Francisco Giants

A lefty! A lefty!!

Yastrzemski, under team control through 2025, is entering his age-33 season, and makes far more sense for the Yankees than Michael Conforto, with an expensive 2024 attached to him that isn't commensurate with his recent production.

Plus, you add Yastrzemski, you get the bonus of making Red Sox fans feel odd shivers over the course of the season. Andover, Massachusetts native, too. Wicked cool.

Mike Yaz will likely never be the MVP candidate he was during the shortened 2020 season, but could be counted on for a .700-.750 OPS baseline with a shot at leveling up in Yankee Stadium's cozy confines. His average exit velocity/barrel percentage remain in the top third of MLB, with his chase rate and walk percentage looking truly elite. Factor in great range and solid arm strength, and the Yankees have a chance to obtain a Mark Canha of their own in a truly bleak free agent market for outfielders. If you've been less than enthused about signing Kevin Kiermaier, Yastrzemski also offers the flexibility to cover center field, which he did ably for 47 games last year. If the cost is reasonable, taking a shot at a mid-ceiling workhorse like Yastrzemski would make plenty of sense.

Josh Naylor, Cleveland Guardians

Forget the baby-rocking for a minute. That was all in good fun, and even Naylor seemed to enjoy the teasing. We're talking about one of the undisputed clutch bats in the game today, someone who always seems to find himself involved in crucial moments (especially when extra innings arrive). This is a player who accepts the heat and thrives while being baked by it. This is a 26-year-old lefty first baseman/DH who's being pushed out of Cleveland by prospect Kyle Manzardo. This is someone who's under team control through 2025. This is a wonderful option, in case of Anthony Rizzo-related emergency.

Naylor broke out last season, elevating himself from agitator to constant threat. His .308 average would've paced the Yankees. His 133 OPS+ was upper-echelon. His 17 homers were solid, though if he'd played all 162 games in Yankee Stadium, his expected home run total would've been 23. Who knows how much the short porch would aid his scorching line drives, but ... it never hurt a lefty.

Naylor's a free swinger and awful chaser (fourth percentile), but somehow also never strikes out (94th percentile K%). He's a walking quirk and a pleasure to have in class, if you like to see competitive fire in your dugout rather than your opponent's. Boston would despise this man, and they'd have every reason to.

First base isn't exactly a vacancy for the Yankees, but it could easily become one by mid-March, and failing to plan is planning to fail. The Yanks could certainly find use for both Rizzo and Naylor, and the more offensive weapons a down-in-the-dumps team acquires, the better.

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