The New York Yankees are desperate to sign some good lefty outfielders. They lack in their offense. Moreover, they had the second-worst batting average in the league last season. The only team they were better than at batting average was the Oakland Athletics. Moreover, it is essential to put less pressure on Aaron Judge as it increases the possibility of sustaining an injury. Anyway, in the current offseason, the Yankees are targeting Juan Soto of the San Diego Padres. That’s why they want to talk to the Padres about a trade prospect.
Apparently, the teams have spoken briefly about the trade package for Juan Soto. But neither of the teams seemed happy or satisfied with the trade package. Recent reports from The Athletic and The New York Post suggested Juan Soto’s deal is getting a lot more complicated. Post’s Jon Heyman reported that at least nine teams have checked in on Soto. On the other hand, The Athletic suggests the Toronto Blue Jays want to get in on the trade scenario for Juan Soto, too.
The Trade Talks Between Yankees And Padres Are Getting Complicated
Anyway, these recent reports indicate that the Padres are looking for a return of multi-player. For instance, the Yankees will need to give up Drew Thorpe, Michael King, Johny Brito, and Randy Vasquez due to the demands of the Friars. Moreover, the Friars also asked for salary relief for the lefty hitter Juan Soto and Trent Grisham, as he was also in discussion. On top of that, The Athletic reports that Clarke Schmidt is also a potential target for the Friars. Hence, the Yankees must be careful in what they are trading for. They will have to give up a lot of assets to land Juan Soto.
But if they don’t get Soto, then they may try desperately to land Cody Bellinger. Soto is pretty young but has gained a lot of experience already. As a 25-year-old, he has played 779 games in the big leagues and hit 160 home runs. But other factors can reduce his value in a trade. Moreover, he’s just a year away from free agency. Hence, signing Soto to an extension will be very hard because of his uniquely young age for free agency. As a result, teams may look at him as a one-year rental.
NY Franchise Needs Their Captain To Be In Sound Health
Injuries really weakened the roster as key players stayed out for a long time. For instance, Aaron Judge stayed out with a torn ligament in his toe in the middle of the 2023 season. But he stayed out over a month, and it did not help the NY franchise’s cause. The team is heavily dependent on the captain.
Without the captain, the Yankees find it hard to maintain a winning streak. But when Judge returned in the 2023 season from injury, he could not really help the team bounce back in the season. It was because the damage was already done. Anyway, it is clear as daylight that Aaron Judge needs a backup superstar offensive player. That’s what the NY Yankees are looking for this offseason.