The New York Yankees have seen positive progression from franchise ace Gerrit Cole as he seeks to return to the mound after opening the season on the injured list due to an elbow issue.
But even with Cole’s return, the team could be looking to add pitching depth to boost its run toward the postseason. The front office was interested in acquiring free agents Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery and trading for Dylan Cease, even before Cole’s injury.
Now, the Yankees have been projected to flip top-ranked prospect Everson Pereira in their mission to acquire some more pitching depth.
“The Yankees are deep in interesting — some might say overhyped — prospects who could be traded to improve the roster, most assuredly to find some pitching help,” ESPN’s Dave Schoenfield wrote in his “early MLB 2024 trade deadline preview.” “We’ll start with Pereira. He lost some shine when he got called up last season and hit .151 while going homerless in 93 at-bats. Overmatched, he’s back at Triple-A, but he’s also behind Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones on the future outfield depth chart.”
New York Yankees Prospect Everson Pereira Could Be a Power Outfield Bat in the Future
Pereira is currently ranked as the fifth-best player in the Yankees’ farm system, a 23-year-old right-hander with plus speed and a plus arm.
“Pereira originally projected as a potential plus hitter with average power, but his profile has flipped as he got stronger and started swinging for the fences,” according to his MLB.com scouting report. “The bat speed and loft in his right-handed stroke help create well above-average raw power and huge exit velocities, but his approach also leads to a lot of in-zone swing-and-misses and strikeouts.”
As Schoenfield noted, Pereira struggled in a brief call up to the big leagues last season. But in 343 at bats in the High-A minor leagues last season he slashed .300/.373/.548. And in 51 Triple-A at bats so far this season he’s gone .216/.333/.490 with four homers and nine RBI.
It seems he might intrigue another MLB team that doesn’t have as much power and outfield prospect depth as the Yankees, which could be more inclined to invest in Pereira’s potential.
The New York Yankees Might Flip Everson Pereira in a Trade to Acquire Jesus Luzardo
Schoenfield noted that the Yankees could be in the “mix” to trade for the Miami Marlins’ Jesus Luzardo as a starting pitcher option, but that the Marlins might demand Jones in return. However, the Yankees were unwilling to part with Jones in trades for frontline starters this offseason, even as Cole’s injury status was uncertain.
“The Yankees, while awaiting news on Gerrit Cole, have re-engaged with the Chicago White Sox and made a new proposal for ace Dylan Cease, but the new offer once again did not include prized outfield prospect Spencer Jones,” Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported.
However, if the Yankees can convince a team looking with a rotation-worthy starter that Pereira is a worthy asset to swap in return — with upside closer to his performance in the minors than it was during his debut in the big leagues — they might be able to retain their most coveted outfield prospects while making a significant improvement to the pitching staff as well.
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