The New York Yankees may not be able to meet their World Series expectations with their current third base plan. They went into the season with D.J LeMahieu and Oswaldo Cabrera slated to share the hot corner.
However, LeMahieu's injury in spring training, paired with Oswaldo Cabrera's uninspiring 2024 stats, could force the Yankees to make a blockbuster trade with the Atlanta Braves.
The Athletic's Brendan Kuty called Austin Riley a player the Yankees could go after if they wanted to go "all in" at the trade deadline.
"George Lombard Jr. has risen up multiple top prospects lists and seems like the club's consensus No. 1 prospect," wrote Kuty. "He'd likely be off the table in virtually every scenario. But could the Yankees put together a competitive deal for Sandy Alcantara? Not without including Lombard. Who else will for sure be available at that time? Maybe the Yankees could try to cherry-pick from the Atlanta Braves if they continue underperforming. The Yankees (and many other teams) surely would like the idea of Austin Riley."
The Braves are 4-10 to start the year and if things continue to go the way they are, the team could be open to adding some prospects in exchange for one of their most expensive players.
Riley signed a 10-year, $212 million deal in 2023. He is a two-time All-Star and hit 30-plus home runs in three straight seasons from 2021-2023. However, last season he hit just 19 home runs and has his lowest OPS since 2020.
Even if he is not the same player he was a couple of years ago, he would still be a massive upgrade from LeMahieu or Cabrera. Even if the Braves move on from him, they still have an array of star players like Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Micahel Harris II. Turning Riley into some promising prospects could be a great move to shed payroll and prepare for the future.
