The Yankees are making moves that feel different this season, and Brian Cashman can deny it all he wants. The decision to option Anthony Volpe just confirmed what’s been building for about a week now.
Yankees fans are getting excited about trade deadline possibilities. And honestly, if New York addresses both sides of the ball at the deadline, there’s no excuse not to bring home a World Series ring.
That’s where the creative trade proposals start getting interesting.
Mike Trout might actually be available. The Los Angeles Angels superstar has been having an incredible year, and while it’d be surprising to see him moved after everything he’s meant to that organization, things change quickly in this business.
If Trout walks into the Angels front office and says he’s ready for a change of scenery, it’ll probably happen.
But this recent trade proposal from Sports Illustrated has the Yankees giving up way too much for a player who’s battled injuries throughout his career:
Yankees Get: Mike Trout
Angels Get: Jasson Domínguez, Spencer Jones, Carlos Lagrange
“The Yankees would only consider this trade because they’re already in an all-in position. At 25–12 with the best record in the American League, the New York Yankees would view themselves as legitimate World Series favorites and look to maximize a clear championship window.”
Ryan Shea makes the case that adding Trout pushes the Yankees from contender to powerhouse. Even with the age and injury concerns, he’d be a short-term, high-impact upgrade alongside Aaron Judge come October.
Here’s the thing though.
If Trout hadn’t been dealing with these injury issues, this trade package wouldn’t even be in the same ballpark of what it’d take to land him. But because of those concerns, I’m not sure I want to give up someone like Lagrange.
Moving on from Domínguez and Jones? I’m totally fine with that. But the Yankees would obviously need to include more than just those two for a player of Trout’s caliber.
It’s tough to figure out what the right deal looks like. Trout’s been incredible this season, but you can’t ignore the injury history when you’re talking about giving up premium prospects.
The Yankees are clearly positioning themselves for something big. Whether that involves Trout or another impact player, Cashman seems more willing to be aggressive than we’ve seen in recent years.
