Despite an offseason that included acquiring ace Max Fried, closer Devin Williams and outfielder Cody Bellinger, many Yankees fans were furious at the team’s failure to address the third base position.
Rather than go after the likes of Nolan Arenado or Alex Bregman, the Yankees chose to bank on the internal development of young players Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza. That plan, however, backfired tremendously when Cabrera fractured his ankle on May 12, ending his season after just 34 games. Peraza, meanwhile, has managed to stay healthy but has once again been overwhelmed at the plate with a dismal .147/.208/.238 slash line. The Yankees then turned to Jazz Chisholm Jr. to man the hot corner, but while the All-Star has posted the best offensive numbers of his career, his third base defense was so bad that the Yankees were forced to move him back to his natural second base position.
With the club in the midst of a 17-23 stretch and the ineffective Peraza once again getting the lion’s share of the playing time, the Yankees can no longer ignore their third base woes. Many have connected them to Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suárez, who ranks second in the National League with 36 home runs, but their ability to line up on a deal may be impaired by a farm system that pales in comparison to many of Suárez’s other potential suitors.
Though the Yankees should still make a run at Suárez, they should have a backup plan in place, and The Athletic’s Jim Bowden believes they can use their outfield surplus to their advantage by trading Jasson Domínguez for Kansas City Royals’ All-Star third baseman Maikel Garcia.
“If the Yankees can’t land Eugenio Suárez from the Diamondbacks, then Garcia would be a solid pivot,” Bowden wrote.
While he may not possess the power of Suárez, Garcia has a lot of attributes that could appeal to the Yankees. He rarely strikes out and doesn’t expand the zone, and his batted ball data, including a 36.5% squared-up percentage that ranks in the 96th percentile of all qualified hitters, suggests his power could play up if he gets out of spacious Kaufmann Stadium. On defense, he ranks in the 87th percentile with three Outs Above Average and has stolen 56 bases since the start of 2024. Perhaps most importantly, Garcia is under team control until 2029, a stark contrast from the expiring Suárez.
Though the Yankees may be reluctant to part ways with Domínguez, who was one of their best prospects of the last decade and has made real strides in his age-22 season, it would help clear up a crowded outfield situation that currently includes Bellinger, Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham with minor-league home run leader Spencer Jones knocking on the door. Domínguez could also be the piece that convinces the Royals to trade Garcia, as their current starting outfield of John Rave, Kyle Isbel and Jac Caglianone has combined for -0.7 WAR this season.
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