The trade would look like this:
New York Yankees receive: Emmanuel Clase
Cleveland Guardians receive: RHP Bryce Cunningham, 1B T.J. Rumfield, OF Brendan Jones
“Clase is under club control at an affordable rate through 2028, so the Yankees would inherit a shutdown closer with four more years of top-shelf production on the horizon. New York’s bullpen remains a huge point of emphasis this offseason, even after a frenzied barrage of trade deadline additions. Devin Williams is a free agent. David Bednar is a sturdy closer in his own right, but he’d look a heck of a lot better as the setup man for Clase, who gets a ton of chases and soft contact with his upper-90s cutter and a slider that sweeps through the zone like something straight out of Fruit Ninja,” Kline wrote.
This season, Clase played in 48 games and posted a 3.23 ERA with 47 Ks and a WHIP of 1.225. However the season before, the two-time Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year had a 0.61 ERA with 66 Ks and a WHIP of 0.659 in 66 games, and was also third place for the AL Cy Young.
If the Yankees can make this happen, they should do it. Getting a closer like Clase will definitely help make sure they can’t blow a game without really trying to.
