With Cody Bellinger joining Aaron Judge on the injured list, the Yankees need an outfielder all of a sudden.
Even though he's struggling, the Yankees are probably glad they kept Trent Grisham around at this point. Without Judge, Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton, the offense could struggle in the second half unless Brian Cashman makes a move. The Athletic's Chris Kirschner proposed this deal with the Kansas City Royals to land some outfield help:
- Yankees receive: Lane Thomas
- Royals receive: Jace Avina (Yankees No. 20 prospect) and Eric Reyzelman (Yankees No. 28 prospect).
Thomas will be a free agent after the season and is a near-lock to be dealt. He has a .727 OPS this season, but it's what he can do against lefties that should intrigue the Yankees. He has a .799 OPS and 19 walks against left-handed pitching this year.
With all of the injuries in the outfield, he could see regular at-bats. However, when Judge and Bellinger are back, he could serve as a much-needed right-handed bat off the bench. If the Yankees actually prefer his bat in the lineup, he is capable of playing all three outfield spots, so they could plug him in anywhere when Bellinger and Judge are back.
"He is a fourth outfielder and platoon-type, making him a good fit on this team," MLB insider Jim Bowden said of this potential trade. "This would be an overpay for the Yankees; I think Avina straight-up would be a fair deal. However, it’s a sellers’ market, so teams will have to overpay at this deadline, and getting Reyzelman included makes it easy for the Royals to close the deal."