Yankees' Top Players to Target and Avoid at 2022 MLB Trade Deadline
The New York Yankees were the best team in baseball during the first half of the 2022 season, but there is still room to improve the roster.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the team's top priority is finding an outfielder to upgrade over the struggling duo of Joey Gallo and Aaron Hicks, while also noting that Juan Soto (WAS) and Bryan Reynolds (PIT) are unlikely targets.
So what other outfielders could be in play?
Ahead, we've highlighted two players the team should target and also taken a quick look at two guys they would be wise to avoid.
Target: Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs
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With a 114 OPS+ in 2,165 career plate appearances, Ian Happ has quietly been an above-average offensive performer throughout his time with the Chicago Cubs.
The 27-year-old was an All-Star for the first time this season, hitting .274/.364/.443 with 34 extra-base hits and a career-high 2.8 WAR during the first half for a Cubs team that is going nowhere fast.
He is controllable through the 2023 season, so he's more than just a rental. He is also capable of playing all three outfield spots and would bring some balance to a righty-heavy Yankees lineup as a switch-hitter.
The asking price will be high given his remaining year of control, but the Cubs should be motivated to sell high now before he's in the final year of his deal and his value drops as a result.
Target: David Peralta, Arizona Diamondbacks
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David Peralta, the longest-tenured player on the Arizona Diamondbacks roster, has spent his entire nine-year MLB career with the D-backs, racking up 110 home runs and 15.0 WAR while winning a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger.
The 34-year-old is in the final season of a three-year, $22 million deal, and with a wealth of young outfield talent in the big leagues and down on the farm, moving him now would open the door for the young guys to gain some valuable experience in the second half.
Peralta has a 110 OPS+ with 16 doubles, 12 home runs and 38 RBI in 286 plate appearances, and his left-handed bat would slot nicely in the Yankees' outfield that is anchored by right-handed-hitting sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
He will also likely come cheaper than Ian Happ and anyone else who is more than a two-month rental.
Players to Avoid
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OF Andrew Benintendi, Kansas City Royals
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees are unlikely to pursue Benintendi now that it has been revealed that he is unvaccinated after he was placed on the restricted list ahead of Kansas City's recent road trip to Toronto. The Yankees are one of just two teams to bring a fully vaccinated roster to play the Blue Jays this season.
OF Robbie Grossman, Detroit Tigers
In the final season of a two-year, $10 million deal, Grossman is an obvious trade candidate for a Tigers team that is out of contention. He quietly had a 23-homer, 20-steal season last year, but his production has dipped considerably this year as he's hitting just .205/.311/.275 with a 29.0 percent strikeout rate. He has been mentioned as a potential target, but would he really be an upgrade?
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.
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