Two winters ago, the New York Yankees swung a trade for star outfielder Juan Soto. Fast forward to 2025, and some are projecting that the Yankees could once again pursue a star outfielder via trade.
Recently, BALLCAP Sports’ Jim Riley suggested a mock trade that would land the Yankees superstar Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr.
The full mock trade is as follows:
Yankees receive: Ronald Acuña Jr.
Braves receive: Anthony Volpe, Spencer Jones (MLB No. 87, Yankees No. 3), Bryce Cunningham (Yankees No. 4) and Ian Hamilton
Yankees would depart with Anthony Volpe in this scenario
This move would land the Yankees one of the brightest talents in all of baseball. Acuna is already a five-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger, and won the 2023 NL MVP after a historic season that saw him smash 41 home runs and swipe 73 stolen bases, the only such instance of a 40/70 season in baseball history.
In turn, the Yankees would part ways with starting shortstop Anthony Volpe, who has been nothing short of a disaster his first three seasons in the big leagues, top prospects Spencer Jones and Bryce Cunningham, and relief pitcher Ian Hamilton, who is having a miserable season, but has been solid in the past.
An outfield of Aaron Judge, Ronald Acuna Jr., and one of Cody Bellinger or Jasson Dominguez for the long-term future would give the Yankees one of, if not the absolute best outfield trio in all of baseball. For now, Acuna is just a pipe dream for New York, but if any team could pull off a move for such a player, the Yankees are right there at the top of list of destinations.