These 3 Players WILL Take the Yankees Back to the World Series

2009: The last time the New York Yankees made it to the World Series. Since that season, the Yankees have been continuously trying to improve their team into reaching the promise land once again, but have consistently fallen short. Coming into the 2023 season, expectations were high, as the Yankees brought back Aaron Judge and signed All-Star pitcher Carlos Rodón to large contracts. However, the season has not gone fully as planned, as Rodón has yet to pitch for the Yankees due to a back injury, and the injury bug has plagued the entire team. Despite these adversities, the Yankees currently sit at 29-20, 3rd place in the gauntlet that is the AL East.

In order for this season to not end up like the other seasons since 2009, the Yankees will need to make trades to bolster their roster for a playoff push and a potential deep postseason run. Thus, I have provided 3 players who the Yankees should acquire in order to bring home ring #28.

Joc Pederson (Outfielder, San Francisco Giants):

On surface-level, Pederson has been off to a slow start this year. He has posted a .235 avg in 26 games, and has been hurt for a large chunk of this season. Despite this, his advanced stats depict a deeper picture of how his season has gone thus far. Pederson is posting a lower strikeout rate compared to his 2022 All-Star season, and has also been seeing pitches better than he has in any other season since 2015, posting a 14.4% BB Rate. Though he only has a .844 OPS., which is 0.03 points lower than last season, his .401 xwOBA (Expected Weighted On-Base Percentage) is the highest of his career, showing that he is hitting baseball with better contact than he ever has.

Pederson is a viable trade option for the Yankees, as he is a free agent next season. With the Giants currently sitting 2 games under .500, they may be inclined to move on from Pederson if the right offer is present. Pederson would slot in the middle of an already power heavy Yankees lineup, and would provide some left-handed pop they are desperately missing, and currently only have in the form of Anthony Rizzo. The addition of Pederson would also allow for Giancarlo Stanton to DH more, as Pederson would provide stability in left field.

Marcus Stroman (Starting Pitcher, Chicago Cubs):

Since 2021, Stroman has quietly been one of baseball’s best pitchers. This season, he has been nothing short of excellent. Stroman has a 3.05 ERA, and has posted his second best HR/9 ratio (0.64) of his career. He has also improved on his K/9 ratio, as it now sits at 8.20, which is the best of his career. All the while, Stroman has posted these numbers in hitter friendly Wrigley Field.

Stroman would immediately become a top-end starter in a Yankees rotation that has struggled this season, both with injuries and overall poor pitching. Yankees starters are 14th in the league in ERA (4.33), and are 13th in the league in FIP (4.25). Though the Yankees have missed Luis Severino for quite some time, prized free agent acquisition Carlos Rodón, and last season’s trade deadline acquisition Frankie Montas, adding another top-end starter would help the Yankees make a playoff push, and potentially a deep run. Stroman may be more costly, as the Cubs have shown little indication of selling, but with the right offer, the Cubs may be willing to move on from Stroman, who currently is on the last year of his deal and has a player option for next season.

Jake Burger (Third Baseman, Chicago White Sox):

Prior to this season, Burger was viewed as nothing more than a serviceable bat. This season, however, Burger has flipped this narrative, and has been one of baseball’s best players, as this season he has a 185 WRC+. Burger also has a 1.073 OPS. and has mashed 10 homeruns in only 29 games. His barrel % is in the 100th percentile, and he is also in the 100th percentile in Max Exit Velocity, showing that when he is hitting the baseball, he is making hard contact. While Burger has never been an elite defender at third base, he has been only slightly below average this season, as he is in the 36th percentile in Outs Above Average.

At only 27 years old and with multiple years of team control left on his contract, Burger will be the most costly option for the Yankees. Though he is costly, the Yankees have a good farm system and should have the assets to trade for him. Third base has been a rotating door for the Yankees in recent years, and with Josh Donaldson’s and DJ LeMahieu’s injury histories, it may be time for the Yankees to invest in the position to not only benefit them for the present, but also for the future.

By making these moves, the Yankees will not only be able to propel themselves into the postseason, but they will position themselves to finally get over the hump and win title #28.