Yankees losing Isaac Paredes to MLB team that shouldn't be buying is a bizarre look

The New York Yankees need a meaningful upgrade at third base -- an offensive threat with a competent glove would do. Quite likely the strongest fit on the market (given that the Rockies don't intend to participate and put Ryan McMahon up for grabs) was Rays All-Star Isaac Paredes.

Was there reason for trepidation? Sure. Paredes is a pulled-fly-ball king, which means he loves sending baseballs into left field. Yankee Stadium features a Death Valley gap in left-center. An ideal Yankees acquisition would be someone who peppers the porch; for Paredes, that would've been unnatural.

But the Yankees, based on a report from Jack Curry on Saturday, clearly weren't reticent to deal with the Rays in-division. Paredes, controllable through 2028, would've cost the prettiest penny out of all their Tampa Bay targets, but a trade was certainly worth pursuing, if not pushing across the finish line.

The rest of baseball, unfortunately, had other plans. The Yankees were outbid for Paredes -- but not by the Dodgers, the team Bob Nightengale claimed they were locked in a "bidding war" with entering Sunday. Instead, it was the Cubs, who dangled an MLB-ready talent in Christopher Morel.

The ... Cubs?!

Yankees miss out on Isaac Paredes trade; Cubs swap with Rays at MLB Trade Deadline

Morel is a massive get, the type of dynamic piece (who will now replace Randy Arozarena) the Yankees never could've offered. Jasson Dominguez should not be a trade option for any team, let alone one that torments the Yankees 13 times per year. Perhaps the Rays could've been swayed by Spencer Jones, but Morel has come far closer to hitting his ceiling as a pro (and the Yankees likely would've balked at Jones, too).

Morel's gone yard 18 times this season, despite a .199 average and .675 OPS. His 26 bombs and 119 OPS+ last season as a 24-year-old hinted at what Tampa Bay's player development could uncover before next year is underway. They'll also get a substantial number of cracks at unlocking Morel, who comes with an extra year of club control compared to Paredes.

Given how the Rays operate, that means Morel will be dealt -- at peak value -- sometime during the 2026 season, before his arbitration values escalate. While there was no simple way for the Yankees to outshine the Cubs' offer here -- and while they never could've expected this year's Cubs, of all teams, to be buying -- the fact remains that this is by no means how we expected Paredes' buzz to resolve.