The New York Yankees are one of the many contenders in the American League who will seek reinforcements at this year’s Major League Baseball trade deadline.
The Yankees’ most significant needs are third baseman, bullpen depth, and potentially, a starting pitcher.
However, according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, the AL East club could seek an extra outfielder. In all likelihood, the player would be a right-handed hitter who could split time with youngster Jasson Dominguez.
Yankees-Twins Trade Idea Sends Harrison Bader to New York
In Sherman’s report, one of the players he listed as a name to watch for the New York Yankees is Minnesota Twins outfielder Harrison Bader.
“A free agent-to-be having a strong year (109 OPS-plus, 11 homers, eight steals, familiar strong defense),” Sherman wrote Tuesday. “He has already played for both New York squads. Do the Yankees feel they need a righty-hitting complement for Jasson Dominguez?”
Dominguez, just 22, is hitting much better from the left side of the batter’s box than from the right. He has a .296 batting average and .841 OPS in 189 at-bats against righties this season, and a .195 batting average with a .572 OPS in 82 at-bats against lefties.
Bader, a Gold Glove Award winner in 2021 with the St. Louis Cardinals, played 98 games in parts of two seasons from 2022 to 2023 with the Yankees. He hit a pedestrian .237/.274/.353 with seven homers and a .627 OPS during his time in the pinstripes.
The 31-year-old hit five home runs in nine games during the Yankees’ run to the 2022 ALCS, when the Houston Astros swept them. Bader’s elite glove work in the outfield would be a plus for an already improved defensive club like the Yankees, but his presence could obstruct Dominguez’s playing time and hinder his development.
Twins President Presses Pause on Trade Rumors
The New York Yankees could show interest in a reunion with Bader, but that does not necessarily mean the Twins would entertain offers.
Minnesota sits four games behind the Seattle Mariners for the third AL Wild Card spot, and with 66 games remaining in the regular season, they are not yet guaranteed to be sellers.
Twins president Derek Falvey joined the New York Post’s podcast “The Show” to discuss the state of the team and the trade deadline.
“But rumors we canât control and conversations we have to have,” Falvey said. “Many times, those conversations about some of the players youâre talking about, even if you donât agree that thatâs the player youâre going to trade, it may spill off into a subsequent conversation that could really help you in a different way.
“So I think we need to stay open to creativity, think about all the players that are on our roster and then try and make the best decisions we can going into the deadline to try and put ourselves in the best spot, whether itâs for this year, but certainly for this year and beyond,” Falvey added.
With Dominguez, Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and AL MVP favorite Aaron Judge, the Yankees have adequate depth in the outfield. Bader could help New York, but adding an outfielder is not likely to be atop the Yankees’ deadline priorities.
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