Trade Proposal: Yankees Send Three Players to Oakland For Matt Olson
In this story:
Of all the positions the Yankees need to address this offseason, first base is among those with the most question marks.
Will the Yankees re-sign Anthony Rizzo? Could New York give the starting job back to Luke Voit?
Both of those two scenarios have their pros and cons. Voit led the league in home runs two seasons ago. Even if he missed quite a bit of time during his injury-plagued campaign in 2021, the production was still there when he was healthy.
Rizzo fit right in after he was acquired before the trade deadline, flashing his elite defense and ability to put the ball in play, but he's going to cost some money in free agency.
So, what if there was a third option? Former general manager Jim Bowden has the solution.
In a piece highlighting five different offseason moves that can point the franchise in the right direction, Bowden listed this trade proposal involving first baseman Matt Olson.
Here's Bowden's proposal, via The Athletic:
Trade first baseman Luke Voit, second baseman Gleyber Torres and right-handed pitcher Domingo Germán to the Oakland Athletics for first baseman Matt Olson.
Oakland would control all three of its acquired players for three more years for a lot less money than Olson, who’s controllable for only two more seasons. The A’s should be able to continue to contend, as I expect both Torres and Voit will have bounce-back years. The Yankees, meanwhile, get a Gold Glove first baseman in Olson, who is only 27 years old and coming off a year where he hit 39 home runs while playing half of his games at the spacious Oakland Coliseum. Imagine what he could do at Yankee Stadium in-between Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in the Yankees’ lethal lineup.
First, let's state the obvious. Olson would be a huge get for the Yankees.
The slugger set new career highs with 39 home runs and 111 RBI, hitting .271 (153-for-565) while playing in 156 games this season.
Olson's career numbers in the Bronx are tremendous. The lefty has slashed .368/.442/.763 with a 1.205 OPS, four home runs and eight runs scored in nine games at Yankee Stadium.
As Bowden alluded to, imagine the type of production Olson would have in a full season in pinstripes, hitting in the middle of a lineup featuring Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Joey Gallo.
Olson does strike out a lot, but he certainly profiles as an upgrade from Voit. He's already won a Gold Glove Award at first, his walk rate is elite, he hits the ball hard, consistently finds barres and he's durable.
That in mind, why would Oakland say yes to a trade like this? Well, they probably wouldn't.
Voit's stock is low after four trips to the injured list. Domingo Germán has his history of domestic violence off the field and pitched to the tune of a 4.58 ERA over 22 appearances this year. And as much as Gleyber Torres has plenty of potential, he battled inconsistencies at the plate again this year, needing to move to second base after struggling at shortstop.
Bowden believes Voit and Torres will bounce back in 2022. Does Oakland?
Surely it would take a blockbuster return for the Athletics to part ways with their superstar—perhaps they would push to include one of New York's top prospects in a trade like this. Then again, Olson is inching closer to free agency (he'll be a free agent in 2024) and if the organization wants to recoup some value now before letting him walk, this offseason would be the perfect time.
Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Inside The Pinstripes and check back daily for news, analysis and more.
