Yankees' Final Guide, Ideal Targets for 2022 MLB Trade Deadline
The New York Yankees have been the team to beat for much of the 2022 season, but they've been coasting a bit of late with a record hovering around .500 in July.
Their shopping list at the deadline included an upgrade in the outfield; however those plans could change after trading for Andrew Benintendi late Wednesday night. Some late-inning bullpen help could also be a priority after Michael King landed on the injured list with an elbow issue, and perhaps some starting rotation depth.
This year's trade deadline is on Tuesday, and teams will have until 6 p.m. ET on the day to put the finishing touches to their roster for the stretch run.
Ahead we have taken a closer look at the buyer vs. seller debate while also highlighting a pair of ideal targets to address their roster needs.
Buyers or Sellers?
The Yankees were sitting in third place in the AL East standings at the deadline last year, raising some questions about whether they would buy or stand pat, but they wound up acquiring Anthony Rizzo, Joey Gallo, Andrew Heaney and Clay Holmes in an under-the-radar deal that is paying huge dividends this season.
This time around, they have a commanding lead in the division standings and legitimate title hopes, which should mean they are active buyers once again.
Finding a taker for Gallo this summer could be the first in a two-step process to upgrading in the outfield, while it would make sense to target both rental and controllable arms with a number of pitchers headed for free agency.
One way or another, expect at least a few new faces in New York starting in August.
Ideal Target: OF David Peralta
Assuming Juan Soto (WAS) and Bryan Reynolds (PIT) will not be in play until the offseason, David Peralta might be the best option for the Yankees to improve their outfield contingent.
The 34-year-old has a 119 OPS+ with 18 doubles, 12 home runs and 40 RBI playing in the final season of a three-year, $22 million deal.
He would add another left-handed bat to the lineup, and he has been swinging a hot bat since the All-Star break, going 6-for-12 with three extra-base hits in five games.
It shouldn't take much beyond a mid-level prospect or two to acquire Peralta, and the opportunity to reach the postseason for just the second time in his career and the first since 2017 should be the ultimate motivation for a strong second half.
Ideal Target: RP David Robertson
David Robertson is tied for seventh among active pitchers with 708 career appearances, and 501 of those have come in a New York Yankees uniform.
A 17th-round pick in the 2006 draft, he spent the first seven years of his career in the Bronx, then returned for another season and a half in 2017 and 2018 after a stint with the Chicago White Sox.
He returned to the big leagues last season following a run with Team USA in the Olympics, and he has been one of the best bargain signings of the year on a one-year, $3.5 million deal this season.
The 37-year-old has converted 14 of 19 save chances with a 1.83 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 11.4 K/9 in 35 appearances, and he could slot nicely into the eighth inning role while Michael King is sidelined.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and accurate through Tuesday's games.