It's early, but one has to assume the New York Yankees will be one of this year's most aggressive teams ahead of the Major League Baseball trade deadline.
The Yankees are playing with momentum now after their emotional series win over the New York Mets and old friend Juan Soto this weekend. They've got as good a shot as anyone to win the American League pennant, but they still have some notable holes.
Third base is one of those holes, as the combination of Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza never quite paid off this season. It's likely DJ LeMahieu will see time there whenever Jazz Chisholm Jr. returns from injury, but the former batting champion isn't someone the Yankees necessarily want to depend on.
By July, the Yankees should be in a position to determine whether or not they still need to bring in another infielder to stabilize things. One baseball writer suggests they could find some help from an unexpected source.
On Tuesday, Empire Sports Media's Ryan Garcia named Tampa Bay Rays infielder Ha Seong Kim, who is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and has yet to play a game for his new team, as a surprise trade candidate for New York.
"(Kim) has yet to play a single game in 2025, but he should be starting a rehab assignment in the FCL this weekend. If all goes well, he could rejoin the Rays at some point in June and get 4-5 weeks to get himself rolling at the plate with his patient eye and brilliant defense," Garcia wrote.
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"With +9 DRS and +2 OAA in a little under 600 innings at third base, he would immediately contend for a Gold Glove if he played a full season there. He is one of the best infield defenders in the game, and with the Rays’ playoff odds sitting at 2.2% entering play today, they project to be sellers at the deadline."
Kim, 29, signed a two-year, $29 million contract with the Rays that includes an opt-out after this season. He might object to a change of scenery just months into his new contract, but if he just wants to get involved in the playoff chase, the Yankees are an obvious fit.
And though division rivals often hesitate to trade with each other, the Rays are typically willing to do just about anything that nets them young, cost-controlled talent.
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