The New York Yankees haven’t had enough of scouting for talent this offseason, and the recent mock trade gives them a strong arm to bolster their pitching staff.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report compiled a list of teams that Houston Astros RHP Framber Valdez could be traded to and suggested a deal that would bring him in exchange for CF Everson Pereira, RHP Chase Hampton and SS George Lombard Jr that the Bronx would bring. Saying:“To that end, Valdez would be a good fit for the Yankees on paper because his ground ball style fits an infield defense that has produced nine outs above average in 2023. They also just need another rotation guy , and Valdez is certainly that.Valdez posted a 12-11 record in 2023 and was one of 16 MLB pitchers to record 200 strikeouts behind a 122 ERA+. As one of the elite talents for the Yankees to pursue, Valdez would be another ideal complement to reigning 2023 AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole on the Yankees pitching staff. However, the Yankees and Astros are bitter rivals, having met in the playoffs in three of the last seven years. The possibility of the Astros giving the Yankees one of their best players in exchange for a Pereira deal may not materialize.The Astros also reportedly don’t want to trade Valdez, even though five teams have already inquired about the Dominican ace. Pereira is a highly regarded player for the Yankees, posting perfect fielding percentage with 44 putouts and one assist in 234 innings in center field. At the plate, his .151 batting average and 40 strikeouts on 14 hits indicate he needs more development despite being a high-level player. The Astros are still in World Series contention with much of their championship core still intact. The Yankees could offer a package for Valdez, but they may have to up the ante and offer more players ready to play than Rymer suggested if they want to make their pitching unit the best in baseball.
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