Yankees could go full heel if Jeff Passan's Dodgers trade hint becomes a reality

The New York Yankees are in desperate need of a catcher and forgot to bring in a righty of any kind this offseason. They're also in similarly desperate need of an edge. Who's afraid to play the Yankees right now, with or without Aaron Judge? They rarely mix it up. They don't have an agitator, unless you count what they do to their own fans. They're always going to be despised by the masses for decades upon decades of success, but they've got no one on the roster these days who punches back or even gives the world a reason to hate them. People hate the relic, not the team.

While Dalton Rushing is a catcher, and is not right-handed, he's certainly despised throughout the game, occasionally by his own fans (and Shohei Ohtani). If he were made available, pending Will Smith's return to LA, he wouldn't solve the Yankees' handedness issue, but his acquisition would allow them to lean into being detestable. If the world is going to see you that way anyway, you might as well make it worth their while.

And ... not for nothing ... but as Jeff Passan noted on Thursday, his left-handed swing (while not the change-of-pace the Yankees seek) could be a godsend in the Bronx. Long-term, he's blocked. The Yankees and Dodgers work well together, and LA has plenty of reason to thank the Yanks' current regime (especially for Christian Zazueta).

Why ... not, right? Let's be the bad guys again.

How would Yankees construct catching tandem with Dodgers' Dalton Rushing?

In this scenario — another lefty import, and clearly a superior one to Austin Wells — you'd have to assume Wells goes down and Ali Sanchez stays up as a less-than-ideal pennant race backup. Let's call a spade a spade, though: nothing about Wells, from framing to pitch-calling to his regressing bat, has been worth arguing in favor of this year. A fresh start and clean break is necessary.

Rushing's pugnacious attitude and firebrand immaturity have obscured his offensive ascendance; he's got a 125 OPS+ and .258 average with 10 bombs in an expanded role since Will Smith's injury. He's also expanded the spotlight that surrounds him, often to ill effect. If Rushing is on the roster when the Yankees and Red Sox next clash at the end of August, the discourse about who's in whose head is gonna get ugly. He and Cam Schlittler could be the yin and yang of rage baiting.

That said, Passan's note did focus on the Rangers targeting Rushing before veering off into a wink about the Yankees. With the Rays poised to compete with the Yanks in the Ryan Jeffers market, one would imagine they'd be in on Rushing, too. If he does become available, the Yankees will have to hope their relationship with the Dodgers' front office gives them a leg up, and that Rushing can keep his cool in a combustible New York atmosphere.

If he channels his rage properly, he'll be beloved. If he can't contain himself, he'll be messier than anyone they've rostered in years.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow