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Yankees Have 4 Clear Trade Candidates This MLB Offseason
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- Yankees Have 4 Clear Trade Candidates This MLB Offseason
(Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)
The New York Yankees definitely need to shake up their roster this winter, and that could involve the Yankees swinging some trades.
New York has a handful of players that comprise pretty interesting trade candidates heading into the MLB offseason, but whether or not Brian Cashman pulls the trigger on any of these deals remains to be seen.
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Regardless, here are four clear trade chips for the Yankees.
Luis Garcia Jr., 1B
The Yankees acquired Luis Garcia Jr. back at the MLB trade deadline, and there is no question that his left-handed bat helped the squad.
But is he actually worth keeping aboard for 2027?
Garcia has just one year of club control remaining, and it seems unlikely that New York will re-sign him long term. While he was terrific with the Washington Nationals this season, he was rather pedestrian in the Bronx, slashing .264/.302/.434, numbers that were awfully similar to his lifetime .268/.301/.432 slash line.
The 26-year-old played a decent first base, but his presence there forces Ben Rice into a full-time DH role and clogs the roster.
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The Yankees might as well shop Garcia around to see what they can get for him now.
Heliot Ramos, OF
Like Garcia, New York landed Heliot Ramos at the deadline, hoping that his right-handed bat would bolster the lineup with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton sidelined.
That didn't happen.
Ramos hit just .198 with a .688 OPS over 136 plate appearances with the Yankees, and he is a terrible defender in the outfield.
The 27-year-old is under team control through 2029, so he may have some value to other teams looking for a complementary bat. But how much value should he actually have in New York?
Cody Bellinger, Spencer Jones and Judge will be the Yankees' starting outfielders next spring, and typically, you want your fourth outfielder to be a strong, versatile defender. That isn't Ramos.
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New York should absolutely gauge interest in the former first-round pick in the coming months.
Jose Caballero, UTIL
Jose Caballero absolutely has cachet given his ability to play virtually any position, but his role has been somewhat clouded due to the presence of Anthony Volpe.
Caballero has three years of club control remaining and also provides significant value on the basepaths, having stole 34 bases in 2026 and 49 the season prior.
The 30-year-old isn't much of a hitter, owning a career .657 OPS, but his defensive utility compensates for his offensive shortcomings.
Should the Yanks decided to place Caballero on the trade block , they would unquestionably receive some inquiries.
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Ryan Weathers, SP
If the Yankees are healthy heading into 2027, there won't be any room for Ryan Weathers in their starting rotation.
Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon and Will Warren comprise the five-man unit, and while one can make an argument for Weathers over Warren, Warren's durability probably gives him the advantage.
New York dealt four prospects to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Weathers last January, so the Yankees would definitely seek a hefty return for the southpaw.
The good news is that Weathers improved his stock this past year, posting a 3.60 ERA and 9.4 K/9 across 25 starts.
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Weathers' injury history is a bit concerning, as is his rather inconsistent four-seam fastball, but his stuff and his grit should make him a desirable trade piece.
That is, of course, unless the Yankees want to transition Weathers into a bullpen role. Remember: David Bednar, Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough, Tim Hill and John Schreiber are all headed toward free agency, so New York may want to try Weathers as a reliever.
