It’s pretty common knowledge that the New York Yankees need some help at first base.
As their hopes of a divisional title continue to worsen during this elongated slump, the Yankees are looking at Major League Baseball’s trade deadline as a way to make a serious upgrade within their lineup.
The glaring need right now is at first base. Greg Bird is set to have foot surgery in the next few days as his battles with the injury bug continues to plague his young career. Meanwhile, Chris Carter provided little at the position and was released, forcing the Yankees to trade LHP Tyler Webb to the Milwaukee Brewers for 26-year-old Garrett Cooper, who was ripping it up in triple-A.
He was promoted to the majors where he’s batted .286 over his first four games. However, it’s a risky move to put that much pressure on an older rookie in the midst of a playoff race.
That’s why the Yankees have been active in their search for more-established options.
MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reported that New York and the Oakland Athletics have been in talks regarding Yonder Alonso.
The 30-year-old is in the midst of a career year, garnering his first-ever All-Star selection with a .268 batting average to go with a career-high 21 home runs. His previous career best in long balls was just nine in 2012.
It’s unclear what the Athletics would want in return, but Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal pointed out that Oakland scouts were watching the Yankees’ single-A ball club down in Charleston. So a haul of prospects might be what is needed to acquire Alonso.
There could be an option much closer to home, though.
Kevin Kernan of the New York Post reported that Yankees scouts were at Citi Field on Monday night watching Mets first baseman Lucas Duda, who launched his 16th home run of the season in a 6-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Set to hit free agency this winter, the Mets might not be willing to bring Duda back given his problems with injuries and the further development of Dominic Smith in the minors, who is regarded as the team’s first baseman of the future.
Duda is well on his way to the 25-home-run mark, which is an impressive feat considering Citi Field is a pitcher’s ballpark. Bringing in his big lefty bat to the short porches of Yankee Stadium could yield big numbers. But Duda is an extremely streaky hitter, which could spell disaster if his bat goes gold in September or October.
