The New York Yankees lost infielder Gleyber Torres in free agency during the offseason and didn’t work to replace him too well. Jazz Chisholm Jr. slid from third base to second base, and Oswaldo Cabrera stepped in at the hot corner. But with Cabrera down after suffering a gruesome leg injury, the Yankees are in desperate need of a third baseman.
They’ve been closely linked to Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suárez, who would provide them with a legitimate thumper in the lineup behind Aaron Judge. Arizona is expected to trade Suárez, who sits on an expiring contract.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale also recently reported the Yankees were keeping a close eye on Suárez ahead of the trade deadline. The slugger added two more home runs on Saturday night.
“The Yankees and Red Sox, each looking for a starting pitcher, have sent scouts to watch Diamondbacks starters Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly in Phoenix, with the Yankees also keeping a close eye on third baseman Eugenio Suárez (32 homers, 80 RBI),” Nightengale wrote.
The Yankees make sense as a landing spot for the slugger for multiple reasons.
Obviously, the Bronx Bombers need a new third baseman. Suárez is far and away the best name on the market. If the Yankees miss on him, they’d be left with a market of players who might not eclipse 1.0 WAR on the season. That’s not exactly the ideal trade addition.
Suárez seemingly hits a home run as often as anybody in baseball. If he were added to a lineup with Judge in the hitter-friendly confines of Yankee Stadium, his home run rate could increase even further.
The Yankees could also realistically sign him to a new deal in free agency at the end of the campaign.
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