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The New York Yankees are “definitely interested” in trading for Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson, per Jack Curry of the YES Network.
“The Yankees have made inquiries about Matt Olson with the A’s, but I’m hearing there hasn’t been any detailed conversations about which players would be involved in a potential deal,” Curry tweeted.
“Obviously, that can change with one call or one text. Yankees are definitely interested.”
The 27-year-old hit .271 (.911 OPS) with 39 home runs and 111 RBI last season. It was an impressive year for Olson, a two-time Gold Glover who also made his first All-Star Game in 2021.
Olson is under team control for two more seasons, making him eligible for free agency in 2024 after a pair of arbitration years.
The Yankees were rolling with Anthony Rizzo and Luke Voit at first base by season’s end, with the former player receiving the bulk of the work after the Bronx Brombers acquired him in a midseason trade with the Chicago Cubs.
Rizzo is a free agent now, while Voit is eligible for arbitration.
New York is looking to improve upon a 92-70 season that ended with an American League Wild Card Game loss to the Boston Red Sox. Questions litter the infield, and a shortstop would appear to be very high on the team’s priority list.
Adding a left-handed power bat tailor-made for the Yankee Stadium short right field porch in Olson would be a major plus, and the fantastic glove is a bonus.
It appears that Olson is available with the A’s looking to cut payroll and rebuild the franchise. SNY’s Andy Martino reported on that in addition to the Yankees’ potential interest in the first baseman on Nov. 8:
“Somewhere in all that haze, though, is one near-certainty for the Yankees: Matt Olson, the All-Star first baseman for the Oakland Athletics, is there for the taking. Given Oakland’s history of trading big names as they become more expensive in salary arbitration, Yankee fans have already been salivating over Olson’s hypothetical availability. To that we can add reporting: Multiple league executives in touch with the A’s say that another reset is coming from the franchise, and Olson is one of several players who will likely be on the move.”
The Yankees would also likely have competition for one of the greatest 30-and-under hitters in baseball, so it’s certainly not a guarantee New York lands him. Plus, the asking price won’t be cheap for Olson either.
Still, Olson could certainly be worth it as the Yankees try to make the World Series for the first time since 2009, which marks the team’s only championship in the past 21 seasons.
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