The New York Yankees have been struggling a bit as of late. They watched a 6 1/2-game lead in the American League East disappear and turn into a 3 1/2-game deficit.
A recent six-game losing skid took them out of first place in the division. There is still time to turn things around, but New York is going to need some help at the trade deadline.
Their most pressing need is for a starting pitcher or two. Luis Gil is almost back, but Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt are both out for the season.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report listed some high-priced arms that the Yankees could target. Among them was Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller.
"As far as top prospects go, the Yankees don't have a ton to offer. But even though they're already on track to pay a hefty luxury tax bill, money should be no object for them and they could go get a pricy-for-multiple-years guy like Sandy Alcantara, Mitch Keller or—should the Cardinals continue to falter and embrace a fire sale—Sonny Gray," Miller wrote.
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Keller is 3-10 through 18 starts this year due to a lack of run support from the Pirates offense. However, the former All-Star owns a 3.64 ERA and has a 1.7 WAR.
The Yankees don't have many top prospects to spare, so it might be tough for them to land an arm like Keller. The Pirates will certainly have a high asking price for the right-hander.
He can give them innings and could significantly bolster the starting rotation for a run down the stretch. New York will need to turn things around quick to stay in the AL East race, and another arm could be just what they need in order to keep pace.
It will certainly be interesting to see how the Bronx Bombers navigate the trade deadline. They have a clear need for an arm or two, and Keller could fill that need.
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