Yankees Predicted To Add Projected $116M Ace After Blockbuster Deadline Trade
The New York Yankees are staring down some big decisions just ahead of the Major League Baseball trade deadline.
The team has some clear needs on the roster as it looks to return to the World Series, but its season has derailed so badly that going all-in might no longer be a wise approach. The Yankees have given up first place in the American League East and lost franchise slugger Aaron Judge to the injured list.
Still, it's hard to imagine any trade deadline passing without the Yankees making some kind of win-now addition.
With that in mind, The Athletic's Jim Bowden predicted the Yankees would trade for one of the best available rental starters on the market by adding Zac Gallen from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Gallen appears to be available after the Diamondbacks announced their intentions to sell with a blockbuster trade of first baseman Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners a few days ago.
BRONX, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 21: New York Yankee general manager Brian Cashman speaks to the media during a press conference at Yankee Stadium on December 21, 2022 in Bronx, New York. (Photo by Dustin...
BRONX, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 21: New York Yankee general manager Brian Cashman speaks to the media during a press conference at Yankee Stadium on December 21, 2022 in Bronx, New York. (Photo by) More
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"The Diamondbacks are expected to be the headliner of this trade deadline," Bowden wrote for The Athletic. "After trading Josh Naylor to the Mariners and Randal Grichuk to the (Kansas City) Royals, they are now prepared to deal impending free agents Eugenio Suarez, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly between now and Thursday's deadline."
Gallen has logged a concerning 5.60 ERA so far this year but has pitched like an ace in the last few seasons. Despite a down campaign, he's projected to earn a $116 million contract this winter, per Spotrac. And he also has a hometown connection to the Yankees, as he grew up in New Jersey.
With Max Fried and Carlos Rodon in the rotation, and Luis Gil expected to return in the near future, the Yankees could see a rental like Gallen as the kind of mid-rotation upgrade that makes sense for them this year. And as a result, this trade prediction is one that could well become a reality in the very near future.
More MLB: Yankees Rumors: Pirates Emerging As Likely Pitching Trade Partner?
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