The New York Yankees are 60-44. They are just one and a half games back of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East. A 10-22 stretch has slightly derailed a fast start, but the team will have an opportunity to bring in reinforcements at the July 30 trade deadline. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden proposed a seven-player deal that brings an All-Star third baseman and bullpen help from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Yankees.
Bowden proposed this deal that brings Paredes and Fairbanks to the Yankees:
- Yankees receive: third baseman Isaac Paredes and right-handed pitcher Pete Fairbanks
- Rays receive: outfielder Everson Pereira, shortstop Roderick Arias, third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera, second baseman Jorbit Vivas and right-handed pitcher Zach Messinger
The Yankees would be parting ways with Cabrera who has started 73 games for the Yankees this season. He had a .262 average through May 14 but has hit .227 with just one home run since. Arias is the No. 4 prospect in the organization, Pereira is No. 5, Vivas is No. 15 and Messinger is No. 21.
The Yankees would be giving up significant prospects, but Paredes and Fairbanks are both controllable past 2025.
“The Rays get the toolsy Arias, who immediately becomes one of their best prospects, and the power-hitting Pereira for one of their corner outfield spots,” wrote Bowden. “Cabrera becomes their multi-position 10th player, Vivas provides them with an option for life after Brandon Lowe at second base and Messinger profiles as a mid-rotation starter in the future.”
Paredes Would Improve the Yankees’ Offense
The Yankees clearly need a bat. The Yankees offense ranks No. 19 in runs in July. They ranked inside the top 10 in April, May and June. Struggling greatly, DJ LeMahieu needs to be replaced as an everyday player if the Yankees offense wants to turn things around. LeMahieu has a .179 batting average in 42 games this season.
“The Yankees would fill a huge hole at third base with Paredes, the Rays’ best position player, who immediately lengthens and improves their lineup,” wrote Bowden “He would allow the Yankees to use DJ LeMahieu in a platoon at first base with Ben Rice and occasionally at second base and DH as well. Paredes, who has a 129 OPS+ and made his first All-Star team this year, is under team control through 2027.”
Paredes is slashing .250/.352/.445 with 16 home runs. Additionally, his OPS+ would instantly be the third-best on the Yankees, behind just Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. His acquisition would allow the Yankees to move LeMahieu out of his current role and come off the bench or split time with Rice.
Pete Fairbanks Brings a Reliable Arm to the Bullpen
“The Yankees would also improve their bullpen with Fairbanks, who could share the closer role with Clay Holmes and comes with two additional years of control,” wrote Bowden.
The Yankees bullpen is ranked No. 7 in ERA. However, the group also ranks No. 16 in strikeouts per nine innings with 8.80. Also, since June 15 the Yankees have the No. 17 bullpen ERA at 4.24. While Fairbanks is not having the same year as he did in 2022, he can still provide depth to the Yankees bullpen.
He has a 3.28 ERA in 36 games. He has 19 saves in 21 opportunities. The Yankees could use Fairbanks in a closer-by-committee role to take some innings off of Holmes before the postseason. Fairbanks only has 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings this season. However, he has finished with double-digit strikeouts per nine innings every other year of his career.
