The New York Yankees' infield problems can be boiled down to one simple issue.
No, it's not Anthony Volpe, who finally escaped his brutal slump with a home run and three hits on Saturday. It's not first base, where Paul Goldschmidt and Ben Rice can effectively platoon, and it's not the production of Jazz Chisholm Jr.
It's where Chisholm is playing.
Chisholm is an excellent defensive second baseman and a mediocre one at third. And playing him at third just to get DJ LeMahieu's middling bat in the lineup seems like a waste of resources that could be fixed with one big addition.
On Monday, Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report suggested that a trade for Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez would be the best move to solve the Yankees' "most desperate" trade deadline needs.
"Acquiring a third base upgrade that allows the 27-year-old to just play second base would be a wise move for New York general manager Brian Cashman," Kelly wrote.
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To that end, the Yankees—and just about every other contending team in baseball—will be hoping the Arizona Diamondbacks decide to become sellers. Can you imagine how much of an upgrade having Eugenio Suárez in this lineup would be over late-career DJ LeMahieu or Oswald Peraza?
Suárez, 33, is bound for his second career All-Star Game. His seven-hit, three-homer weekend in Colorado upped his season OPS to .890, the best of any qualified National League third baseman. He's up to 25 long balls and a major league-leading 67 RBI on the season.
Of course, Arizona would have to become an opportunistic seller to make the Yankees' dreams come true. But Suárez is making $15 million this season and should net a massive prospect haul, so there's always a chance as long as Arizona doesn't go on a significant hot streak.
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