AL East Star Still a Deadline Option For Yankees With Impact Trade Fit Staying Put

The New York Yankees won't be acquiring this superstar, but they could still land an impact slugger from this AL East rival.

Aug 14, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The Toronto Blue Jays logo during batting practice against the Cleveland Guardians at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports | Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees' best potential trade fit will not be available at this year's deadline, but they can still try to land another impact star.

According to The New York Post's Mark Sanchez, Colorado Rockies All-Star third baseman Ryan McMahon revealed that general manager Bill Schmidt told him he is staying put.

“We had a good talk, talked about it, and we came to the conclusion that I’m going to stay a Rockie,” McMahon said on Monday at All-Star week festivities at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

McMahon is having a stellar season in 2024, slugging 14 home runs and posting a .797 OPS in 95 games in the first-half for a Rockies team that is 29 games under .500. The 29-year-old is owed a total of $44 million across the next three seasons, which is a fair price for another club to take on. His lefty bat would have been an ideal addition for the Yankees' top-heavy lineup, but it's not going to happen this year.

That being said, Toronto Blue Jays All-Star first baseman/DH Vladimir Guerrero Jr. remains a possibility for the Yankees, as Sanchez noted.

Guerrero Jr. has mentioned in the past that he would not sign with the Yankees due to a past personal issue involving him and his Hall of Fame father Vladimir Guerrero Sr.

However, the 25-year-old recently told Virus Deportivo that he is a professional and is willing to play for any team if he is traded. But when asked again about possibly playing for the Yankees this week, Guerrero Jr. made it clear he doesn't want to talk about the Bronx Bombers anymore.

“I talked to my dad about it and I told him that we decided to close that chapter,” Guerrero said through an interpreter. “We don’t want to talk about the Yankees situation anymore.”

Guerrero Jr. would fit nicely with the Yankees, but New York has received strong play from rookie first baseman Ben Rice. So either Rice or DH Giancarlo Stanton, who is nearing a return from the IL, would be displaced. But it's possible that Rice could move back to catcher, which is his natural position.

The real hurdles are that Guerrero Jr. has another year of control, mixed with playing for an AL East rival, so the price tag ahead of July 30 for the homegrown star would likely be astronomical for the Yankees.

The Yankees will have to look elsewhere for third base help since McMahon won't be traded. And while Guerrero Jr. remains an option this year, it still looks like an unlikely deal for New York.