As the New York Yankees are reminded daily, even Aaron Judge at his best can’t carry the entire team.
Judge remains the AL MVP odds-on favorite, especially after a stellar weekend in Denver against the Colorado Rockies. However, the Yankees need more from their offense, especially since likely All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt can’t play all four infield spots.
If the Yankees pursue an infielder ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, could they turn their attention to Washington Nationals third baseman and former New York Mets top prospect Amed Rosario?
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported Sunday that the Yankees are expected to be “aggressive” in seeking an infielder and a starting pitcher over the coming weeks. Nightengale added the Yankees would “ideally” prefer a third baseman following Oswaldo Cabrera’s severe ankle injury.
Washington Nationals third baseman Amed Rosario
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
MLB Trade Rumors’ Nick Deeds went one step further, proposing the Yankees consider adding Rosario. The 29-year-old ended Sunday hitting .303 with two homers, 12 RBI, and a .782 OPS for an inconsistent Nationals club.
At this point in his career, teams know what they’re getting from Rosario: he’s a replacement-level, light-hitting infielder who offers excellent versatility. Interestingly, Rosario has just a single stolen base after notching at least 10 steals each of the last four seasons.
Rosario—who Major League Baseball once ranked the sport’s No. 5 prospect —is only on a one-year, $2 million contract, so he’d likely come cheap. Don’t expect to see the Yankees give up top prospects George Lombard Jr. or Spencer Jones just to have Rosario manning third base for a few months.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman recently kept mum about any trade possibilities, telling reporters that “we’ve got what we’ve got” at third base. Oswald Peraza and rookie Jorbit Vivas continue splitting reps at third, with two-time batting champion DJ LeMahieu typically manning second base.
It is unclear if LeMaheiu will become the starting third baseman when second baseman Jazz Chisholm (oblique) returns from the IL.
