4 Infield Players Yankees Need To Pursue Ahead of Trade Deadline

The New York Yankees need to aggressively pursue one of these infielders to bolster their lineup.

Apr 1, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez against the New York Yankees at Chase Field. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees took the baseball world by storm with the power display they showed early in the season by producing historic home run outputs.

They have one of the most prolific offenses in the game, which is impressive given the lack of production they have received from third base to this point in the season.

The hot corner looked like it would be an issue when the team decided DJ LeMahieu would be their starter in spring training. He was injured two at-bats into camp, making the hole even bigger.

Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza and Pablo Reyes have taken over, but they have provided very little results.

As the most pressing need on the roster, the Yankees need to aggressively pursue one of these players to upgrade their most glaring weakness on the team.

Eugenio Suarez

When New York faced off with the Arizona Diamondbacks in their second series of the season, they saw first-hand what the veteran slugger could do at the plate.

Suarez hit a grand slam in the first game to help the Diamondbacks come away with a 7-5 victory. His only other hit during the series was also of the extra-base variety, as he hit a double in the series finale while drawing two walks in three games.

He has gone ice-cold since that point, getting only one hit since. But he has a lengthy track record of providing legitimate power, hitting at least 21 home runs in every season he has played triple-digit games.

Most importantly, he won’t kill the team’s defense as a serviable defender at the hot corner.

Nolan Arenado

It seems like a matter of when, not if, the St. Louis Cardinals re-engage teams in trade talks centered around their veteran third baseman. Arenado’s no-trade clause complicates things a little bit, but a contender such as the Yankees would likely appeal to him.

He has gotten off to a strong start with a .289/.407/.422 slash line, one home run and three doubles.

Like his former teammate Paul Goldschmidt, who is off to a scorching hot start in New York, Arenado would benefit from being added into a deeper and more talented lineup instead of being the focal point.

As the case has always been, he remains elite with the glove as well, providing incredible value even if his power numbers are going to remain a little lower later in his career.

Rays Duo

There may not be an avenue for the Tampa Bay Rays and Yankees to complete a trade.

The franchises have only done three transactions with each other, and none of them have been deadline deals.

But, the Rays have two players who would certainly fit in well in New York; Yandy Diaz and Brandon Lowe.

The high-contact game Diaz has at the plate would be a nice fit for a team that sometimes strikes out too much. He hasn’t played a ton of third base in recent years but has 2,227.1 innings of experience at the hot corner.

Lowe, a second baseman, would enable manager Aaron Boone to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to the hot corner to address the need.

His ability to play the outfield would add a little more versatility to the roster, too.

Nico Hoerner

Like Lowe, Hoerner would be an addition to take over at second base, moving Chisholm back over to third base. It isn’t a route the Yankees want to take, but if no options emerge as upgrades at the hot corner, this needs to be seriously considered.

New York is as stronger team when Cabrera is used as a utility man given his versatility to play virtually anywhere. Chisholm more than held his own at third base after being acquired from the Miami Marlins.

Hoerner would add another element to the offense with his contact and speed game. He has gotten off to an awesome start this year with a .304/.373/.326 slash line with six stolen bases.

A Gold Glover, he would also help the team in several facets.