Yankees Slugger Drawing Significant Trade Interest

If the New York Yankees want to hold onto some of their top prospects at the deadline, trading a blossoming young star from their major league roster could be in the cards.

Per the New York Post's Joel Sherman, opposing teams around the league have explored the possibility of acquiring Ben Rice from the Yankees and moving him to catcher on a full-time basis, thus raising his value.

"But one way to make a bigger trade and/or protect the farm system would be to use Rice in a deal rather than strictly prospects," Sherman wrote. "And Rice’s value would expand if teams believed he could catch at a time when there is shortage of quality at that position around MLB.

"Rice has played just five games at catcher this season and started two. But he was drafted as a catcher, caught 121 games in the minors and any conversation with him on the subject will reveal that he does not lack confidence as a catcher. Yankees catching coordinator Tanner Swanson has vouched that he sees Rice as a major league catcher, but that is not where the Yankees have needed him."

Rice has held his own over 46 2/3 innings behind the plate this season, logging zero Defensive Runs Saved and 0.1 framing runs, per FanGraphs.

He's primarily settled in as a first baseman and designated hitter for the Yankees, but with 117 total starts at catcher in the minors, there's enough of a sample size to suggest that Rice could consistently handle those responsibilities in the big leagues as well.

It would sting to part ways with Rice, however, as the left-handed hitter has slashed .232/.323/.468 with 15 home runs and a 121 wRC+ over 320 plate appearances this season.

The 26-year-old also boasts impressive batted ball data that suggests he's been quite unlucky, evidenced by an expected batting average (.289), expected slugging percentage (.555) and hard-hit rate (54.4%) that rank in the 91st, 94th and 96th percentile, respectively, according to Baseball Savant.

Rice is under team control through 2030 and has the makings of a potential star in the Bronx, but if the Yankees believe he'd bring back an impact piece that could aid another deep playoff run, than perhaps they'll send him elsewhere before the July 31 deadline.

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