The Tampa Bay Rays jumped into contention in 2019 and had a fantastic run, reaching the World Series in 2020. The Rays appear to be fading at.500.
They still have a good record, but they are 5.5 games out of the AL Wild Card race and do not appear strong enough to win it. It appears that they have already realized this and are preparing to rebuild.
MLB insider Jon Morosi recently stated on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the Rays would consider offers for some of their top position players.The New York Yankees, for example, should be interested since the parts the Rays are selling are exactly what the Yankees need to upgrade.
Yandy Diaz linked as a ‘prime option’ for the Yankees
To begin, every player identified in Morosi’s tweet would be a good fit for the Yankees. A resurgent Randy Arozarena, who recently hit three home runs against them, might take over for a drooping Alex Verdugo. Isaac Paredes may cover first or third. However, Patrick McAvoy of Sports Illustrated has made a fascinating idea on a Yandy Diaz-New York Yankees swap:
“If the Yankees can match the Rays’ asking price, Díaz would be an excellent choice.” This season, New York’s biggest weakness has been offense in the infield, particularly at first and third base. Díaz can play either position, but has spent most of his time at first base this season.
Diaz (now on the restricted list) is slashing.Through 381 at-bats, he has a 273/.329/.432 batting line and eight home runs. Diaz would improve the Yankees’ batting order, which is currently in disarray.
Let’s not forget, as McAvoy mentioned, Diaz is a batting champion. Diaz had a.330 average and 22 home runs last year. With his best season only a year behind him, Diaz may bring some elite batting to New York, or anywhere he goes for that matter.
Diaz is under club control until 2026, giving the Yankees plenty of time to capitalize on whatever potential top batting abilities Diaz has yet to demonstrate.
All that being said, if possible, the Yankees might try to rebuild their roster by pursuing Arozarena, Paredes, and Diaz as a trio, subject to the asking price. While acquiring all three is unlikely, the Yankees should investigate some of the choices available to the Rays.
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