(Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees have a depth problem in the outfield.
They lost Harrison Bader by waiving him in September, Jasson Dominguez won’t be ready for the start of the 2024 campaign, Giancarlo Stanton is too injury-prone to be counted for more than a handful of games as an outfielder, and Oswaldo Cabrera hasn’t developed offensively.
General manager Brian Cashman has stated that his team is looking for not one, but two outfielders.
Manuel Margot of the Tampa Bay Rays fits the description, and there have been some chats about a trade between the two teams per insiders.
“The Yankees and Rays have had multiple conversations about a trade for Manuel Margot, per @Ken_Rosenthal,” Talkin’ Yanks tweeted.
The Yankees and Rays have had multiple conversations about a trade for Manuel Margot, per @Ken_Rosenthal pic.twitter.com/5iWVjfH66i
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) November 16, 2023
With Dominguez set to miss multiple months with his elbow injury, the Yanks will need someone with a good glove capable of playing center field and then sliding to a corner and filling the role of a fourth outfielder when “The Martian” returns.
Margot is no Silver Slugger, but he can be that guy.
In 2023, Margot hit .264/.310/.376 with four home runs, nine steals, and a .686 OPS with the Rays.
In other words, he has a similar profile to that of Bader.
In April 2022, Margot signed a two-year, $19 million contract extension with the Rays that also included a mutual option for 2025, worth $12 million.
The Rays want to shed some payroll and a roster spot; the Yanks are looking for some bodies to play in the outfield.
It could be a deal that makes sense for both sides.
The post Yankees Reportedly Eyeing Rays Outfielder Via Trade appeared first on The Cold Wire.