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The New York Yankees have been the best team in baseball through roughly the quarter mark of the 2022 season, and it’s hard to find any fault in their current roster. They are first in team OPS and team ERA, with Aaron Judge leading the way offensively and breakout ace Nestor Cortes anchoring the starting rotation.
If there’s nit to pick, it’s the fact that the lineup skews extremely right-handed, with only first baseman Anthony Rizzo and left fielder Joey Gallo as left-handed hitters, while center fielder Aaron Hicks and utility man Marwin Gonzalez are switch-hitters.
Given the lengthy injury histories of Hicks, Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, finding more outfield depth might also be in the team’s best interest, and a left-handed-hitting outfielder would be the ideal depth addition to an already stacked roster.
Ahead we’ve highlighted three potential trade targets who would provide left-handed-hitting depth in the outfield—one blockbuster addition, one low-cost addition and one outside-the-box addition.
Off we go!
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The Yankees are plenty familiar with Andrew Benintendi from his time with the Boston Red Sox, and trading for the free-agent-to-be would be more than just a depth addition. Benintendi is off to a terrific start in a contract year with the Kansas City Royals.
The 27-year-old is hitting .302/.366/.395 for a 125 OPS+ in 145 plate appearances, and while he won a Gold Glove in left field last year, he could push the underperforming Aaron Hicks (.204 BA, 80 OPS+) for the starting center field job.
Given his age and stellar production this year, Benintendi is a logical extension candidate for the Royals as they build toward contention, so there’s a chance he won’t be available this summer even if the Royals remain on the outside looking in for a playoff spot.
However, if the Yankees can pry him loose, he could be the perfect left-handed-hitting complement to their outfield contingent.
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The Cincinnati Reds found a diamond in the rough when they signed Tyler Naquin to a minor league deal prior to the 2021 season, as he posted a 105 OPS+ with 19 home runs and 70 RBI in 127 games last season while serving as the team’s primary center fielder.
He had the added bonus of coming with an additional year of arbitration control, and now he looks like a prime trade candidate for a Reds team that has struggled mightily to begin the year.
The 31-year-old has played exclusively right field this year, and he’s a better fit there defensively, but he could conceivably work as a fourth outfielder who sees time at all three outfield spots and some occasional DH action.
With a 107 OPS+ and 20 RBI in 29 games, he’s been productive despite Cincinnati’s early struggles, and he would be a great pickup as a fourth outfielder capable of stepping into a bigger role if the need arises.
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A top prospect in the Texas Rangers system who began his MLB career with three straight 20-homer seasons, Nomar Mazara never took the next step forward in his development.
Still just 27 years old, he hit a paltry .219/.285/.309 in 330 plate appearances with the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers the past two seasons, and he had to settle for a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres this winter.
Playing for Triple-A El Paso, he’s hitting .337/.440/.562 with eight doubles, four home runs and 15 RBI in 25 games, and he has nearly as many walks (17) as strikeouts (20), which is nice to see given his lack of on-base ability in years past.
He is valuable depth for a contending Padres team, but with Jose Azocar playing his way into the fourth outfielder role and CJ Abrams perhaps poised to return as an outfielder himself once he’s recalled from the minors, they could be convinced to trade him for a useful return piece.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and accurate through Tuesday’s games.
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