Creative Trade Idea for the Yankees to Get Younger at the Deadline
July 30, 2013 · Anthony Maimone · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
The 2013 MLB trade deadline passes tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET and a lot is still to be uncovered across the league.
The New York Yankees find themselves in the indecisive position of wanting to be buyers when in reality they should be sellers.
It is not the Yankee way to be sellers at the deadline despite their position in the standings.
The Yankees are always looking to make moves, even small, that will help the ballclub win now.
That was proven true when the Yankees traded away a mid-level prospect to acquire Alfonso Soriano from the Chicago Cubs.
However, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, general manager Brian Cashman was overruled in this decision.
Cashman is believed to have not wanted to give up the prospect arm, which gives an indication that he feels the Yankees are more sellers than buyers.
Now it is highly unlikely that the Yankees decide to make any sort of sell move but if they decided to go that route there is a deal to be made to help the Yankees get younger.
Hiroki Kuroda is not only the Yankees best pitcher; he might be their best trading chip.
Set to become a free agent at the end of the season and already known for considering going back to Japan to finish his career, this could be the Yankees only time to capitalize on his value.
The best match for a Kuroda trade would be sending him to the St. Louis Cardinals and selling him on the idea of winning a World Series.
The Cardinals are looking for a pitcher at the deadline and according to ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden they are in pursuit of Chicago White Sox’s Jake Peavy.
Unfortunately, the latest update according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com is that the White Sox have reversed course and now plan on keeping and building around Jake Peavy.
This leaves the door wide open for the Yankees. They aren’t going to but if they were to dangle Kuroda to teams he would have been one of the most sought out players available.
Kuroda is sporting a 2.51 ERA on the year pitching in the very difficult AL East.
If Cardinals’ general manager John Mozeliak can move past his distaste for trading for players in contract years he could land a pitcher who, paired with Adam Wainwright, would give the Cardinals one of the best 1-2 punches in all of baseball.
The Cardinals have dangled many of their top prospects including flamethrower Carlos Martinez in other trades and the Yankees would be more than happy with any of them.
The real catch for the Yankees, and it could happen for a pitcher of Kuroda‘s ability, is for the Yankees to bring back infielder Matt Carpenter.
The 27-year-old is having a breakout year for the Cardinals and can play just about any position on the field.
The swap makes sense for both teams as the Yankees are in dire need of getting a little younger and need another bat meanwhile the Cardinals can afford to lose him and cash in on his breakout.
No one is going to touch any of the other older Yankees thanks to their absurd contracts and rightfully so.
If the Yankees ever wanted to be serious about making a move for their future this would be the one to make.
In all likelihood they won’t and they probably will just get older by adding a player like Michael Young, but it is nice to dream. I bet Brian Cashman feels the same.
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