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Yankees Trade Deadline Predictions: NYY deals 2 veterans, adds outfield power

The Yankees can't stand pat. They just can't.

By Adam Weinrib |
New York Yankees v Baltimore Orioles
New York Yankees v Baltimore Orioles / Jess Rapfogel/GettyImages
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What's the dumbest thing the 2023 Yankees could possibly do at Tuesday night's trade deadline? Absolutely nothing.

They remain in the thick of the Wild Card race, despite depressing recent struggles (and despite being tied by the Seattle Mariners and passed by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Monday night). If they wanted to bring in a competent left fielder and an extra arm, considering they're saddled with Anthony Rizzo/Giancarlo Stanton/DJ LeMahieu anyway, that would make some sense.

They also finished July 10-15, shedding momentum by the day. If they wanted to sell all the rental veterans Brian Cashman was examining on Monday evening, that would also make sense.

But they can't do nothing. They're not allowed to do nothing. Turning the other way from a golden opportunity is how stagnant businesses are run -- and what do you know? That's exactly what the Yankees franchise has become.

Several rental targets are already off the board, from Randal Grichuk (apparently didn't inquire) to Mark Canha (seemed like they were in a steady dialogue with the Mets, but who knows). A whole mess of two-month commitments likely won't save this ship, but a few multi-year targets might just steady it for the long haul.

We're not predicting all three of these moves will pay off, but considering the Yankees always seem to add one target everyone completely expects and one complete wild card, here's our last-ditch prediction before things hit the fan at 6:00 p.m. ET Tuesday evening.

Yankees Trade Deadline Predictions 2023

Harrison Bader/Clayton Beeter to Minnesota Twins for OF Matt Wallner

This one struck me as an out of left field (and out of center field) possibility as soon as FanSided's Robert Murray noted that the Twins are at least receiving calls on Wallner, a powerhouse lefty-swinging right fielder who's struggled to latch on at the MLB level this year (but has a .910 OPS with 5 loud homers in 62 at-bats).

In Triple-A, he's been thunderously good, hitting .297 with a .403 OBP and .927 OPS in 67 Triple-A games this year.

In exchange, the Twins will presumably want young pitching (Futures Game participant Beeter), as well as a veteran center fielder who might bring a slightly more potent bat than Michael A. Taylor. Byron Buxton, infamously, has not played center for quite a while.

Even though he's the Yankees' engine, it sort of feels as if Bader is the most likely veteran to go. The Yankees know where he stands entering free agency. They'll probably be his first call. He could always come back (I, personally, think the Yankees spurn him again this winter, but that's just my take). Minnesota is contending for a playoff spot with a worse record than the Yankees, one game over .500 and leading the Central. We live in hell. This trade intrigues me.

Wandy Peralta to San Francisco Giants for OF Rayner Arias (MLB Pipeline No. 20 Prospect)

While the Giants are run shrewdly and might be skittish of Peralta's shady metrics, they're also entirely familiar with the mojo the pitcher brings. After all, they're the team that traded him to the Yankees back in 2021 to get their hands on Mike Tauchman, a mutually beneficial move.

Peralta is a postseason-tested, swing-and-miss artist with velocity that's trended up since he left the Bay. He's also done a great job of limiting everything but walks in 2023, so the Giants' staff will have a very clear mission if he's acquired.

Farhan Zaidi's Giants are dedicated to sustainable winning, so they might be reticent about trading a teenaged lottery ticket. But in this year's Wild Card race, every win matters, and adding Peralta to the bullpen mix might be worth sacrificing a 2023 signee who has hit .414 in Rookie Ball this year. It never hurts to ask, at least; the Yankees will probably still say yes to this deal if the Giants try to swap in a lesser prospect like top-level pitchers Randy Rodríguez and Ryan Murphy.

With the Yankees down 5-1 and racing headfirst into oblivion on Monday night, it's a shame Peralta did not receive a farewell appearance. It's more likely than not that his Yankees career has ended, with more personal missions accomplished than we could've ever asked for.

Randy Vásquez/Will Warren/Antonio Gomez to St. Louis Cardinals for Dylan Carlson/Gio Gallegos

Too much smoke here to rule out the Yankees and Cardinals coming together to exchange upper-minors pitching for a switch-hitting outfielder. Tack on the bullpen help in Gallegos, a former Yankee farmhand originally included in the Luke Voit trade, and you have an interesting proposal with enough heft on both sides.

Trading too much prospect capital in exchange for Carlson, a falling star, is a worrisome ask. But Michael Fishman, Brian Cashman and Co. can't resist an Aaron Hicks-esque player with top prospect pedigree who's struggling to figure things out at the big-league level. Add in Carlson's switch-hitting capabilities and the position he plays, and it's no wonder the Yankees (and briefly the Orioles) have been the only teams really connected to him this summer.

There's no mincing words: Carlson's 86 OPS+ this season is abhorrent. There's a good chance he never realizes his athletic potential and becomes another middling post-hype bat rather than a sleeper to be saved. But it was just one year ago that he was at the center of the Juan Soto trade talks. If the Yankees could get him in exchange for two 40-man spots -- I mean, young pitchers -- they'd do it in a heartbeat and move into savior mode.

Again, these are predictions. Not desires. Would you really be shocked if a struggling Carlson was Cashman's biggest long-term get?

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