The New York Yankees are in the midst of a surprising slump after emerging as one of the best offenses in all of baseball this season.
The Yankees suffered its third-straight shutout loss on Tuesday, making it the longest-such streak since 2016 and forcing the team to search for new answers on offense. Though the Yankees can hope that sluggers like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton provide a spark from within, the team is also expected to hunt for an infield upgrade as the trade deadline approaches.
And now that Rafael Devers has been sent to the San Francisco Giants, a new option might be placed on the block.
“San Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman, the five-time Gold Glove third baseman, who is currently recovering from a sprained right hand, offers a suitable solution,” according to a new trade pitch from Esteban Quinones of Pinstripe Nation. “In return, the Yankees would part with a promising package: outfielders Jasson Dominguez and Everson Pereira, and right-hander Ian Hamilton, one of the most dependable bullpen arms over the last two seasons. The proposed deal reflects a win-now approach from Brian Cashman’s front office, while San Francisco looks to rebalance after a major move of its own.”
After earning a Gold Glove Award in his debut season with the Giants and then re-signing to a six-year, $151 million deal, Chapman might have recently been seen as an untouchable player. But now that the Giants have landed Devers and he’s announced a willingness to play wherever the team would like to see him, the Giants might have more than enough highly-paid third basemen.
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“San Francisco was forced into this position by the Devers trade,” Quinones added. “Rather than create tension between two $100 million third basemen, they appear ready to pivot.”
Losing Dominguez and Pereira might be a tough pill for the Yankees to swallow. But if they believe Chapman can recover from his injury to become a major defensive upgrade in the infield while also helping the team rediscover its offensive prowess, adding him to the roster could very well be a World Series championship move this year.
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