For the New York Yankees, the trade deadline is always an opportunity.
In a weak American League, the Yankees have the chance to flex their "because they're the Yankees" spending power. They can strengthen strengths, plug holes, or just go after the best players available because they don't want to face them in October.
An area to watch is the bullpen, a typically dominant facet of the last decade of Yankees teams. Finding a second left-hander to pair with the reliable Tim Hill would be a prudent move for New York this summer.
One Yankees writer believes the Athletics could possess the lefty the Yankees are seeking.
In a recent article, Nick Power of Pinstripe Alley named Hogan Harris, the 28-year-old southpaw who owns a 4.05 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings this season, as a possible Yankees trade target.
"Probably the A’s most valuable relief arm this side of (Mason) Miller is Hogan Harris, who was dominant last year and has been solid so far this year. Like McFarland and Newcomb, Harris is a lefty, something many teams (including the Yankees) will be actively seeking," Power wrote.
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Harris has a bit of a walk problem, with 22 so far contributing to his 1.68 WHIP. He had a blow-up outing against the Yankees in the Bronx this weekend, with two walks coming back to bite him when he allowed a three-run home run to Cody Bellinger.
What Harris does well, though, is avoid hard contact. He's in the 99th percentile of hard-hit rate this season, and he mostly does so by keeping hitters off balance and mixing in a devastating change-up.
There would have to be a deal that works for both sides, but one could easily envision Harris coming to New York and putting together a great second half of the season. He's also under team control through 2030.
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