The New York Yankees may have access to a slugger that the rest of the league, besides the team he’s on, won’t. YES Network’s Michael Kay believes the Yankees would be the one team that San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. Would waive his no-trade clause for.
Kay believes Tatis’s “theatrical flair” would make him more amenable to playing under the brightest lights in the Big Apple.
"Fernando Tatis is 26 years old. He'll be 27 the beginning of January. [...] He's a brilliant outfielder, he plays right, he could play left easily. We know that he came up as a shortstop so he could do that too,” Kay said on the Talkin’ Yanks podcast.
"At the end of 2020, he signed a 14-year deal for $340 million, and at the time people were aghast. Aghast! Not anymore. [...] I would make a phone call to A. J. Preller, 'What do you need? What do you want?' We've got a deep farm system. [...] He's got a no-trade clause through 2028, I think with his theatrical flair, he would waive that clause to go to the Yankees.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer believes Tatis is a potential trade fit for the Toronto Blue Jays as well, citing his surplus value, which is similar to Cincinnati Reds ace Hunter Greene at the top.
“Even with all the money that's still owed to him, Baseball Trade Values puts Tatis' surplus value at $83.3 million. That's basically Greene territory, though that shouldn't surprise anyone. Tatis has averaged 6.6 rWAR per 162 games for his career. The goal for the Padres if they were open to moving Tatis would thus be simple: Clear all the money and get multiple players back who can help right now,” Rymer wrote.
“A top-of-the-rotation starter would be a must. The Padres also just plain need power, specifically on the right side of their infield and at designated hitter.”
The Yankees are already looking at potential trades for Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones to clear up an outfield logjam created by Trent Grisham’s re-signing. Instead of trading the young pair to make room for Cody Bellinger, maybe they can send them, and more, to San Diego in a Tatis trade.