Yankees Loosely Linked To Pair Of All-Star Sluggers Amid Power Outage
The New York Yankees offense has been sputtering in Aaron Judge's absence -- outside of the occasional beatdown of the historically bad Oakland Athletics -- and desperately could use a slugger or two to pair with their strong pitching staff.
The Athletic came up with seven potential trades the Yankees could make at the upcoming deadline, two of which are both plausible and would make an impact.
The first proposal would be for Joc Pederson and cash considerations (for luxury tax purposes). New York would part with right-hander Will Warren, the No. 7 prospect in the Yankees organization according to MLB Pipeline.
Pederson is hitting .259 with 14 extra-base hits including eight home runs, 30 RBIs and a .855 OPS in 47 games this season.
The 31-year-old would launch baseballs from the left side of the plate at Yankee Stadium while providing an overall upgrade to the outfield group.
The second option is a former National League MVP who appears to have rediscovered his approach after a few down years.
The proposal would be for Chicago Cubs outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger in exchange for right-handers Clayton Beeter (Yankees' No. 13 prospect) and Warren plus outfielder Estevan Florial.
Bellinger is hitting .261 with 19 extra-base hits including seven home runs, 22 RBIs and a .775 OPS in 48 games this season. The 27-year-old also has 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts.
The Yankees would be smart to inquire about both of these sluggers, as they would greatly benefit a team that appears to have enough pitching to go the distance.
Adding these two sluggers on top of Judge's impending return would make New York a force to be reckoned with.
