Though they sit atop the American League East standings with a 14-9 record, the New York Yankees have some underachieving position players and starting pitchers likely holding them back.
And while 22 games into the season is too early to hit the panic button, it’s likely general manager Brian Cashman is monitoring everything with a watchful eye as he looks for areas that need upgrading as the season wears on.
The Yankees have been linked to several pitchers over the last few weeks including Miami’s Sandy Alcantara, San Diego’s Dylan Cease, and Arizona’s Zac Gallen, some analysts believe they should be targeting more offensive help.
Newsweek’s Zach Pressnell is one of them, and he recently proposed a trade scenario where the Yankees could swing a deal for Minnesota Twins star infielder Carlos Correa.
“Adding Correa, who’s off to a slow start himself, would give the Yankees an additional veteran to play every day,” Pressnell wrote. “Correa would slot in at third base for New York, but he has the flexibility to move all around the infield in the event of an injury or an off day for Jazz Chisholm Jr. or Anthony Volpe.
“The only issue here is his contract. The Bronx Bombers likely won’t want to pick up the rest of his massive deal, so the Twins would have to eat a little bit of the money if they want to move him. It’s definitely something to keep an eye on as the weeks go by.”
He was a member of the 2017 and 2019 Houston Astros teams that eliminated New York in the American League Championship Series both years.
Correa, who signed a six-year, $200 million deal with the Twins back in 2023, is having a bit of a sluggish start to the season himself. He’s batting just .194 with one home run, five RBIs, and seven runs scored, but he typically is a consistent performer.
The 30-year-old shortstop has hit 20 or more home runs in six of the nine seasons he’s played at least 75 games, and he’s logged 54 or more RBIs in nine of his first 10 seasons.
Plugging Correa in at third base would solve New York’s biggest issue behind its pitching. The Yankees’ third-base platoon of Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, and Pablo Reyes has produced just two home runs, eight RBIs, 16 runs, and a .264 batting average.
