Report: Yankees Targeting Rangers Outfielder in Trade Talks
Reinforcements could be on the way for the Yankees' injury-plagued outfield.
New York is reportedly talking to the Texas Rangers about trading for veteran outfielder Delino DeShields Jr., per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
DeShields, 28, has played in six big-league seasons, hitting .246 over close to 600 games.
The outfielder started the 2021 season with Texas' Triple-A affiliate, where he's been tearing it up early on. Through nine games, DeShields is batting .412 (14-for-34) with two homers, five RBI and seven runs scored.
Known for his elite speed and abilities in center field, DeShields would bolster the outfield depth within New York's organization, a unit that's been banged up through the first few months of this season.
Center fielder Aaron Hicks is on the injured list with a torn sheath in his left wrist and could need surgery. Slugger Giancarlo Stanton is also presently on the IL, nursing a left quad strain.
Starting left fielder Clint Frazier is set to be evaluated by the team's physician on Friday for stiffness in his neck, an injury that's kept him out for the last three games.
Even veteran Ryan LaMarre, who was brought up from the minors this week to deepen the supply of outfielders on the bench, landed on the injured list (right hamstring injury). Not to mention the fact that two outfielders in Triple-A—Trey Amburgey and Greg Allen—are also sidelined with injuries.
In other words, injuries have depleted a good chunk of the options available for manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman internally. In fact, Brett Gardner is the only healthy center fielder on New York's active roster entering play on Friday.
While DeShields wouldn't help fix New York's left-handed woes—the Yankees are reportedly "prioritizing" lefty bats ahead of the Trade Deadline—he'd be a valuable asset to play on both sides of the ball in a pinch. DeShields has made just under 80 percent of his outfield appearances in center field, a glaring need for the Yankees right now.
Plus, for a team that rarely steals bases, and has struggled mightily with baserunning of late, DeShields would make this roster faster. The 28-year-old has swiped 109 bags in his career and was in the league's 97th percentile in sprint speed during his last full MLB season (in 2019, per Statcast).
Coincidentally, DeShields was part of the trade that sent Corey Kluber from Cleveland to the Rangers in December of 2019. DeShields appeared in 37 games for the Indians during last summer's shortened campaign before returning to Texas this past offseason as a free agent.
The Yankees have already made a deal with the Rangers this season, trading for second baseman Rougned Odor earlier this spring.
MORE:
- Yankees Unsure About Severity Of Clint Frazier's Neck Injury
- Corey Kluber's Journey Back From Injuries Came Full Circle With No-Hitter in Texas
- Q&A: Dwight Gooden Had Plenty to Relate to Watching Corey Kluber’s No-Hitter
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