Hidden Tigers trade target could provide lefty killer the Yankees desperately need

Somehow, the 2024 New York Yankees have become too left-handed after a half-decade of the opposite problem. They've also become, overall, too wimpy at the plate, but that's a separate issue entirely.

If you could pick a side to stack in a lineup that plays its home games at Yankee Stadium, it'd be lefty hitters, but still, being susceptible to the league's top southpaws (and a wide variety of slop throwers) is less than ideal. These Yankees could use a good, solid platoon, and one look at the bench makes it clear they haven't planned much for that. Trent Grisham is a borderline starter these days. Jahmai Jones is a nice fellow, but seems like a last resort. JD Davis doesn't participate.

Given the Yankees' propensity to get run over by lefties of all shapes and sizes, adding a versatile infielder like Andy Ibañez of the Detroit Tigers to counteract that deficiency seems like a great idea.

Detroit has been placed firmly in the "seller" bucket despite a recent bout of competence, but they certainly don't plan on playing bleak baseball in perpetuity, and would like to contend again next year. Could they be convinced to part with Ibañez, a 31-year-old glue guy who could play an effective role on a strong team? He's under team control through 2028, which complicates matters, but he'll also age out of his peak during that time, and already serves as a part-time contributor. The two sides could probably make it work, though it's extremely difficult to brainstorm standard compensation here.

Yankees should target Tigers' Andy Ibañez in under-the-radar trade

On the year, Ibañez has piled up 1.1 bWAR in just 125 at-bats, hitting .288 with a 108 OPS+/.745 OPS overall. Check the splits, though, and this second, third, and first baseman's propensity to contribute really pops.

In 54 at-bats against right-handers, something the Yankees would outright ban from Day 1, he hits .148 with a .364 OPS. Against lefties? 71 at-bats, a .394 average, and a 1.029 OPS that eclipses Aaron Judge's full-season mark. Add in his athleticism and defensive versatility, and you have a player who could really shine in a more limited role in New York. It's just a shame they wouldn't be able to bring him on board for any more Yusei Kikuchi matchups, in all likelihood.

Prescribing an Ibañez trade all depends on how far the Tigers are willing to go. His value lies in his control -- much like when Scott Effross was dealt from the Cubs to the Yankees in the summer of 2022. That control has, of course, become a curse; now, after missing nearly two years, the prospect of having Effross for so much longer sounds daunting rather than hopeful. Given Ibañez's advanced age, would it take a prospect approaching Hayden Wesneski's caliber to obtain him? Would the Tigers even be willing to listen on someone who plays his role, plays it well, and can contribute to winning in the years to come, if used properly? Ibañez isn't exactly a Statcast darling. That's not where his value lies.

The Yankees would undoubtedly get more value out of Ibañez this season than the Tigers would, and that could convince Brian Cashman to shoot more strategically rather than overpaying for Luis Rengifo and calling it a day. Now, it's time to guess whether or not Detroit would play along and lend a helping hand.