Yankees predicted to trade for $66 million Diamondbacks slugger

Drew Bishop

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Yankees predicted to trade for $66 million Diamondbacks slugger image

The MLB trade deadline is approaching and the Diamondbacks look like sellers.

Meanwhile, the Yankees look like buyers on the hunt for more power to add to their lineup. 

ESPN's Jeff Passan predicted a trade between the two teams involving a chunk of Arizona's core players.

He diagnosed third base as New York's greatest weakness and Eugenio Suarez as a target to fill that role. 

Suarez has 29 home runs and 75 RBI's on the season, each ranking fourth in the MLB. His power would translate well to the middle of the Yankees lineup and be a strong option at third base. 

Passan further detailed what makes Suarez superior to other third base options like Nolan Arenado or Ryan McMahon.

"Suárez's expiring contract would allow the Yankees a trial run, and if he thrives in the Bronx, all they would need to bring him back is cash," Passan wrote.

If Suarez continues his torrid pace of hitting, New York could resign him to a long-term deal. If he goes on a cold streak, they can walk away and send him to free agency. Suarez is on the last season of a seven-year, $66 million deal he signed with the Reds. 

And there's another detail: Suarez could be accompanied in a trade with a notable Arizona pitcher.

Passan theorized that a "two-birds-one-stone" deal involving Zac Gallen or Merrill Kelly could entice the Yankees even more. The Diamondbacks are a team selling assets and if New York has the right offer they could ship multiple pieces.

It would be a big trade to solidify some weaknesses in the Yankees' roster and set up Arizona for the future. 

MORE: Diamondbacks predicted to trade Josh Naylor to surprise AL team for promising prospect

Drew Bishop

Drew Bishop is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. After graduating from the Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University, he worked in local media in Sandusky, Ohio at BCSN and the Sandusky Register, freelancing as a reporter, broadcast director and play-by-play commentator for high school sports. He then moved on to KRIS 6 News where he serves as a producer in the news department.