Yankees Predicted to Land Top Pitcher

The Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Yankees have regularly been linked as potential trade partners leading up to the July 31 deadline. While most rumors have centered around All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suárez, perhaps starting pitching could enter the discussion as well.

The Athletic made one bold prediction for all 30 MLB teams ahead of the deadline, and Yankees beat reporter Brendan Kuty opined that the club will acquire right-hander Merrill Kelly from the D-backs.

"The Yankees need a pitcher who could start a playoff game for them," he wrote. "The Diamondbacks seem destined to be sellers. Trading for Merrill Kelly would be a tremendous win for general manager Brian Cashman and his front office. Max Fried and Carlos Rodón could be a strong 1-2 punch at the front of a postseason rotation, and Luis Gil seems poised to make his way back from injury. But Kelly misses bats at a high clip, and as a rental, his price shouldn’t be sky high."

Zac Gallen has drawn the most attention of any Arizona pitcher over recent weeks, but Kelly is currently turning in a better season than his rotation mate. Whereas Gallen has posted a 5.40 ERA through 20 starts, Kelly's sits over two runs lower at 3.34 with a 3.47 FIP and 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

The 36-year-old was selected in the eighth round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, though he'd never make the majors with the club and instead joined the SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) before the 2015 season.

After spending four years with the club, during which he logged a 3.86 ERA over 729 2/3 innings, Kelly signed a two-year deal with Arizona before the 2019 campaign. He's remained with the team ever since, turning in 160 starts and 940 1/3 frames to the tune of a 3.76 ERA.

Kelly's a soft tosser, evidenced by an average fastball velocity of 92.1 mph, though he still gets hitters to chase at a near elite rate of 31.3 percent while averaging just 2.6 walks per nine. He boasts a six-pitch mix, though he primarily relies on his changeup (25.9 percent usage), four-seam fastball (25.4 percent) and cutter (20.6 percent).

Pitching is always at a premium come deadline time, meaning Kelly could land Arizona a solid package of prospects as a pure rental if it doesn't improve its 47-50 record and remains on course to sell.

Though Gil is on his way back to the majors and Cam Schlittler has the look of a potential frontline starter, the Yankees still have room for a meaningful addition to their rotation.

Kelly is a steady veteran arm who put up a stellar 2.25 ERA in 24 innings when the D-backs reached the World Series during the 2023 playoffs, and he'd fit perfectly with New York as it looks to make repeat trips to the Fall Classic.

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