MLB trade rumors: Yankees still open to trading for first baseman

After the acquisition of corner infielder Todd Frazier, that was believed to be it as far as acquiring more offensive help. That does not appear to be the case though, as it’s been reported by Mark Feinsand of MLB.com that GM Brian Cashman is still looking into getting a true first baseman.

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Having already given up the third prospect in their system Blake Rutherford and refusing to give up blue-chip guys like Clint Frazier and Gleyber Torres, it’d be hard to get an expensive first baseman. However, the Yankees would be likely to deal Jorge Mateo or Domingo Acevedo as BBB mentioned last night, so the Yanks Yanks do have a number of options on the market.

There’s the All-Star first basemen in Yonder Alonso who’s really been a below-average player his whole career up until this season. He wouldn’t be outrageously expensive, but it appears the Yanks are looking more into Sonny Gray on the A’s. Still, the Yankees have been linked to Alonso for a while.

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As for Alonso, he has also really struggled as of late and has show signs of slowing down. For the season, he’s hit .273 with 21 homers and 45 RBIs. There is the possibility of an Alonso/Gray package deal between New York and Oakland.

Another expensive option would be power lefty Justin Bour of the Miami Marlins, the first baseman who gave Aaron Judge a run for his money in the Home Run Derby. Bour is hitting for both power (21 homers and 63 RBIs) and also average (.285) so far this season. However, he may be on the pricier side as he’s locked up for a few more seasons and could been seen as a part of the Marlins future.

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The two cheaper options still bring a lot of power and those are New York Met Lucas Duda and Matt Adams, who’s already been traded once this season. Adams has been a pleasant surprise for the young Atlanta Braves, hitting .291 with 15 homers and 44 RBIs in 237 ABs. Duda doesn’t have quite as good of numbers for the struggling Mets, but still has produced 17 homers in 232 ABs.

It should be noted that all four of these first basemen are lefties. All four have significant power which would translate greatly to the famously short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium. Duda and Alonso are all rentals as they are each are a free agent at the end of the season. Adams is on a one-year deal, but is under team control through next season. A rental may be the smart route for the Yankees, as they wouldn’t have to give up as much and could still have a guy like Greg Bird return for the future. If the Yanks were still unsure of Bird’s health in the offseason, they could resign that rental.

Photo Credit: Todd Kirkland | AP

With that being said though, the cheapest and best option could be Matt Adams. Adams has just as much power as the other three and could help Bird figure out the kinks next season. It certainly is a bit surprising to see the Yanks looking into first base help with the club already having Frazier and Chase Headley along with Garrett Cooper off the bench, but it would make the offense even more dangerous and powerful. Headley has really lacked in the power department with just four homers this season and an upgrade would be helpful in sending the Yanks to the playoffs.

Article by: Spencer Schultz

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