Analyst Identifies New York Yankees Most Likely Trade Piece

The New York Yankees have been one of the best teams in baseball throughout the 2024 season. They have been excellent in every facet of the game, with Juan Soto and Aaron Judge playing at an MVP level to pace the lineup.

Many people questioned whether or not the Yankees would have enough pitching after trading so much depth for Soto. When reigning Cy Young award winner Gerrit Cole was sidelined in Spring Training, that became more dire.

But, the pitchers the New York Yankees have available have responded. They currently have the lowest team ERA in baseball and are legitimate World Series contenders. As a result, expect them to be buyers on the market ahead of the trade deadline.

There are no glaring holes currently on the roster, but if the opportunity to add an upgrade presents itself, the Yankees should jump on it. If that occurs, Joel Rueter of Bleacher Report has identified one player who could be on the move; outfielder Everson Pereira.

“With Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo as the starting outfield and top prospect Jasson Dominguez on the recovery trail after undergoing Tommy John surgery, the Yankees are going to have a crowded outfield in the near future,” Reuter wrote. 

“Even with Soto and Verdugo both ticketed for free agency, the Yankees also have Spencer Jones as one of the headliners of their farm system, and trading from their abundance of outfielders would give Pereira a clear path to playing time elsewhere and address a more pressing roster need,” he added. (H/T Heavy)

Judge is locked in long-term to a spot in the outfield and the New York Yankees are hoping the same happens with Soto this offseason. With Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez in the pipeline, Pereira becomes a potentially expendable piece.

Given some recent comments that Hal Steinbrenner made about the team’s salary, some shuffling with the roster could be on the horizon. But, it is young, cost-controlled players such as Pereira the team wants to keep around to fill out the roster with.

Alas, to acquire talent, you need to sacrifice some. If the New York Yankees want to make a splash, as they have been linked to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Mason Miller, a player such as Pereira will be the center of trade talks.