Player ‘Most Likely’ to Be Traded Could Be Yankees’ Anthony Rizzo Replacement

The New York Yankees started their series against the Minnesota Twins the exact way that many expected, winning 5-1. Over the past decade, the Yankees have found an incredible amount of success against the Twins.

It was the pitching again on Tuesday night, as right-hander Luis Gil threw another 6.0 innings without allowing a run. His 1.82 ERA and 0.92 WHIP show how he's dominated over his 12 starts.

Not much has gone wrong for this ball club. While things can change, this year feels different. New York looks to be a true World Series contender and it's an exciting time for the fan base.

Despite the early season success, they'll be in the mix to get better at the trade deadline.

According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the Yankees will look to upgrade the right side of the infield.

"The Yankees’ right side of the infield has underperformed and if the production doesn’t improve, that will be the area of focus to upgrade via trades."

Anthony Rizzo has had a tough season. He's been one of the few down spots on this roster, slashing .236/.296/.354 with seven home runs. The 14-year veteran has also struggled at first base, a surprise for the four-time Gold Glove winner.

Bowden later added players who could be traded, including first baseman, Josh Bell. Bell, a switch hitter, hasn't exactly been great this season, either, but he has been better than Rizzo offensively. He's slashing .247/.318/.385 with six home runs and 12 doubles.

The switch hitter has been all over the place in recent years, playing for four different teams since 2022.

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report listed New York as a landing spot for him and applauded Bell for still playing well despite being on four different teams.

"Usually when you're a relatively productive player who changes teams a lot, it's a red flag.

"But Josh Bell has played for quite a few of the more small-budget teams in the sport, and when those clubs aren't contending, they tend to shed payroll, which Bell has often found himself on the wrong end of."

If he can return to his 2022 form where he posted a 127 OPS+, the Yankees would be getting a major upgrade.

At the very least, he'd add a different look over Rizzo due to being a switch hitter.