With the Giants likely holding onto Madison Bumgarner the Yankees should look at a different veteran arm from the National League West.
The MLB trade deadline is just five days away, and it feels as if the market is ice cold. Outside of the Yankees June trade to acquire slugger Edwin Encarnacion and the Red Sox deal to add starting pitcher Andrew Cashner there hasn’t been much trade action.
This will likely change in the coming days as the MLB changed the August trade policy so that major league players can only be moved prior to July 31st. That means by next Wednesday at 4 p.m. eastern the Yankees should have a new member of their starting rotation.
At this point, it’s hard to tell who that pitcher will be. The Tigers asking price for Matthew Boyd is too high, Marcus Stroman and Noah Syndergaard may require the Yankees to part ways with top prospect Devi Garcia and the Giants recent surge may keep them from trading Madison Bumgarner.
Thus, perhaps a name the Yankees could take a look at is veteran right-hander Zack Greinke. Greinke is in the fourth year of a monster contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks and despite being 35 is still having a stellar season.
Greinke was named an all-star for the third straight season and sixth time in his carer as he has posted a 2.93 ERA and a 10-4 record in 21 starts this season. The durable veteran is a former Cy-young award winner has won five gold gloves from the pitcher’s position and has pitched in the postseason for the Brewers, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks.
All of this makes him a perfect fit for the Yankees. There’s a lot of talent on the Yankees current pitching staff but little consistency. By adding Greinke, the Yankees would add a battle-tested arm who has prided himself on being someone who can take the ball every five days and give his team a chance to win.
The problem will be getting to keep the mild-mannered Greinke to waive his no-trade clause and the potential prospects the team would have to give up to get him. However, if they’re going to make a blockbuster Greinke would be the name worth moving a large haul for.