The New York Yankees are likely to be buyers at the trade deadline. According to Jon Morosi, the Yankees are engaged in talks with the Oakland Athletics about their All Star first baseman Yonder Alonso. The Yankees need starting pitching, but are going to have to fill another hole after Greg Bird, the team's starting first baseman, went down with an injury.
Alonso rumors
Alonso is batting .268 this season and is 31 years old. Alonso is going to be a free agent after this season, and is unlikely to sign with the A's given that they are rebuilding.
Oakland wants to flip Alonso for prospects that they can have on their team for when they open up their new stadium down the road.
The Yankees have dealt with issues at first base all year. Collectively, their first baseman have combined to his .208 this season. The team designated Chris Carter for assignment about a month ago after he was not producing. The team moved on to the 24 year old Bird, but his ankle injury is likely to keep him out for the rest of the season.
The Yankees are battling the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays for playoff spots, and Alonso could fill a hole in their lineup. Morosi says that the Yankees also want to go after pitcher Sonny Gray, but if the Yankees did that then they would likely have to part with Gleyber Torres, the No.
2 overall prospect in baseball. Gray is under contract for two more years, has has pitched a sub-1.50 earned run average his last four starts. If the Yankees go after just Alonso, then the value will decline.
Bird injury
Bird recently said that he will come back this season according to a report from Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch.
Bird has had a dismal year with a .100 batting average to go along with multiple injuries. Despite his want, it's likely that he will be sidelined for the rest of the season.
Bird broke into the scene in 2015 when he hit 11 home runs at the age of 22. However, Bird missed all of last season with shoulder surgery, and has only been up to the plate 72 times this year.
It's possible that Bird could come back and have a great year next season, but it's hard to tell how that will go.
Trade make sense
Given Bird's injury, and the hole at first base, it's likely that the Yankees could acquire Alonso by the end of July. Alonso could cost the Yankees a middle tier prospect. The Yankees have the farm system to complete a trade, but the team also has the Farm System to blow the A's away if they wanted to acquire Gray as well. The Astros, Brewers and Cubs have been linked to Gray too.
