BALTIMORE — Welcome to one of the most exciting times of the baseball season, trade-deadline week. The Yankees are out of a playoff position and general manager Brian Cashman only has until 6 p.m., EST Tuesday to address season-long scoring woes with a quick fix.
There is an alternative. The Yankees wouldn’t dare make like their neighbors over in Queens and wave the white flag, would they?
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The Mets, who boasted the industry’s highest payroll, officially pulled up stakes on the ‘23 season when they dramatically started selling off assets the last few days. First, they traded closer David Robertson on Thursday. On Saturday they doubled down by agreeing to even an bigger deal, sending three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer to the Rangers.
The Yankees, second in payroll, could also decide to dump salary or stand pat if the hierarchy concludes the roster is too deeply flawed to be fixed with one or two deals, especially if the cost would inflate the payroll above the highest luxury-tax threshold.
Perhaps depending on how the Yankees do Sunday in Baltimore and Monday at home against the Rays, they still may chase a quality bat. The possibilities would include MVP Cody Bellinger to play left field if the surging Cubs opt to sell, or a less sexy outfield option like the Rockies’ Randal Grichuk.
But should the Yankees opt to make room for Bellinger, a willing trade partner awaits.
While the Yankees don’t a Scherzer-type available, they nevertheless have intriguing veteran pieces to move that don’t have a no-trade clause:
Such as …
Center fielder Harrison Bader (free agency after 2023), infielder/outfielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa (free agency after 2023), pitcher Domingo German (likely demoted to the bullpen soon) and …
The Marlins were fixated on Gleyber Torres this time a year ago. They’re still trying to deal for the second baseman, NJ Advance Media learned from a source who is close to Marlins management.
According to the source, the Marlins have been pushing hard for Torres, but the Yankees’ asking price has been too steep for their liking — two 25-year-old starting pitchers, right-hander Edward Cabrera and lefty Braxton Garrett, plus two prospects.
Both Marlins arms whom the Yankees covet currently hold big-league rotation spots after being top 10 organization prospects two years ago. Cabrera is 5-6 with a 4.74 ERA in 16 starts and regarded as a future star by the Marlins. The seventh-overall pick of the 2016 draft, Garrett is 5-3 with a 4.08 ERA in 20 games, 19 as a starter.
It’s believed the Marlins are willing to part with some of their biggest organizational strengths for Torres, minor-league pitching prospects (but not Eury Perez, a 6-foot-8, 20-year-old phenom who pitched to a 2.36 ERA in 11 big-league starts this season before being farmed out because he’s on an innings limit).
The Marlins want Torres to play second base and be a veteran presence on a small-market, low-payroll club that currently is a half-game out of a National League wild-card spot.
The Marlins would move Luis Arraez, who leads the majors in hitting with a .381 average after winning the AL batting title in 2022, from second base to first, the source added.
Miami acquired Arraez in January from the Twins for pitcher Pablo Lopez, a right-handed starter who reportedly was close to being dealt to the Yankees for Torres just before last summer’s trade deadline before Cashman pulled out.
Torres, 26, is controlled for just this season and next, his walk year to free agency. He’s making $9.95 million this season and will be arbitration eligible next year.
If the Yankees trade Torres, they’d be giving up one of their most productive offensive players. In 103 games, he’s hitting .258 with 16 homers, 44 RBI and a .749 OPS through Saturday night’s 8-3 win over the Orioles.
If the Yankees move Torres, DJ LeMahieu could become the starter at second base instead of moving around the infield. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and rookie Oswald Peraza, who was optioned to Triple-A last week, would become permanent fixtures at third base.
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Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com.