Yankees Trade Pitch Lands Non-Gallen or Kelly Diamondbacks Starter for Just 1 Player

It’s well-reported that the New York Yankees are interested in making a trade for the top players on the Arizona Diamondbacks’ roster. 

However, there are a few different ways the Yankees could go. While they’d love to add somebody like Eugenio Suarez, Zac Gallen, or Merrill Kelly, there’s a possibility that a few other players on the Diamondbacks could be available that the Yankees are interested in. 

Sports Illustrated recently proposed an idea for them to land one of them in the form of Eduardo Rodriguez, who was once one of the better left-handed starters in baseball just a few years ago. 

“The best out to fix the backend of their starting rotation is to take on a high-paid starting arm that has underachieved expectations. The pitcher who fits this profile is Eduardo Rodriguez. He’s owned $20 million next season, while also having vesting options in 2027 and 2028…

“To acquire Rodriguez and his salary, New York would need to offer Chase Hampton (coming off TJ surgery) and a pitcher in the realm of Carlos Lagrange. Hampton most likely won’t help New York until 2027 (he had surgery on 2/21 this season). New York drafted him in the sixth round in 2022. He has 13 starts of experience at AA (3.99 ERA and 1.255 WHIP over 65.1 innings with 72 strikeouts),” they wrote. 

Should Hampton Be Available in Trade Talks?

Moving on from just one player in this scenario wouldn’t be the worst idea. While Chase Hampton has shown some promise in the New York Yankees’ minor league system, he’s also coming off Tommy John surgery and doesn’t have much of a path to join the rotation anytime in the near future, just as Sports Illustrated mentioned. 

From the Yankees’ perspective, that’s something they’ll have to factor in at the deadline.

Will There Be a Diamondbacks Fire Sale?

The Arizona Diamondbacks understand that they have to move players at the deadline. The New York Yankees are among the teams inquiring about the availability of some of their top players.

According to the Diamondbacks’ general manager, he understands that the team just hasn’t put it together, whether due to injuries or other factors. Had the Diamondbacks figured things out a bit sooner, it would’ve been possible that they wouldn’t sell.

“I don’t want to sit here and hope that things are going to happen,” Mike Hazen said, per The Arizona Republic. “I’m kind of done hoping. We want to see it happen. It is what it is — we’ve been waiting now for the better part of three-plus months.

“I think we’ve definitely had our spurts where things look good. I think we have the ability to put things together. But at this point, with the position we’ve put ourselves in, we need to play pretty exceptional to move back up from where we are now.”

Regarding what Rodriguez could bring to the Yankees, although he’s struggled a bit this year with a 5.94 ERA, he still has 90 strikeouts in 80.1 Innings. 

In the 2023 campaign for the Detroit Tigers, he posted a 3.30 ERA. 

That’s the type of arm the Yankees would have to hope they’d be getting.

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