The New York Yankees‘ offseason priority should be securing Aaron Judge‘s signature on a long-term contract.
His new deal will likely surpass $300 million, whether it comes from the Yanks, the San Francisco Giants, the Los Angeles Dodgers, or anyone else.
However, no matter what happens with Judge, the Yankees have a hole in left field.
They can’t really justify playing the struggling Aaron Hicks there in 2023, and Oswaldo Cabrera is not really an outfielder despite his great efforts in 2022.
The Yankees have several potential routes they can explore: they could designate Cabrera as their left fielder, or they could go with a free agent signing like Andrew Benintendi or Brandon Nimmo.
There is a third option: the trade market.
There is a specific player who has interested the Yankees in the past and is reportedly available at the moment: Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds.
According to industry sources, the Yankees are working on a deal with the Pirates that would net them the talented outfielder.
“First tidbit from the lobby, per an industry source, is that the Yankees are ‘very much’ in on Bryan Reynolds. ‘They’re on it.’ … Not exactly breaking news that there’s significant interest in the Pirates outfielder,” Pirates insider Jason Mackey tweeted.
First tidbit from the lobby, per an industry source, is that the Yankees are “very much” in on Bryan Reynolds. “They’re on it.” … Not exactly breaking news that there’s significant interest in the Pirates outfielder.
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) December 5, 2022
Mackey covers the team’s every step for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
A Very Valuable Player
Reynolds had a .912 OPS in 2021 and a .807 mark in 2022: he is a well-above average hitting outfielder capable of covering center field, although he is best suited in a corner.
The Yankees need him in a corner, since they already have Harrison Bader as the center fielder.
Reynolds, who has 51 home runs between 2021 and 2022, has three seasons of team control remaining, so he is quite valuable.
The Pirates aren’t just giving him away.
The Yankees appear determined to make a deal happen, though.
The next couple of days will be crucial.
NEXT: 2 Moves The Yankees Need To Make To Compete With Astros
