The New York Yankees offseason has been very active with second baseman Gleyber Torres and outfielder Juan Soto departing while starting pitcher Max Fried, outfielder Cody Bellinger and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt have been added to the roster. While it appears the club is done making splashes in free agency, recent Yankees rumors suggest a trade could be next.
New York still has a few areas of need it needs to address before spring training, including more pitching depth and a starting second baseman to replace Torres. Fortunately for the club, several intriguing MLB trade candidates are reportedly on the team’s radar.
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- New York Yankees payroll 2025 (FanGraphs): $284 million
According to ESPN‘s senior MLB insider Jeff Passan, the Yankees have discussed a trade with the San Diego Padres for All-Star infielder Luis Arraez and they’ve called the Los Angeles Dodgers about Gavin Lux.
- Luis Arraez stats (ESPN): .318/.346/398, .744 OPS, 24 doubles
While Arraez is a three-time batting champion and three-time All-Star selection, he does some with significant limitations. Last season at second base, he finished in the 3rd percentile for Fielding Run Value (-9) and in the 1st percentile for Range (-13 OAA). He’s also a negative on the basepaths – 27th percentile Baserunning Run Value (-1) – for a team that had issues with defense and baserunning in 2024.
- Gavin Lux stats (ESPN): .251/.320/.383, .703 OPS, 10 home runs, 24 doubles
Lux, age 27, is only slightly better in those areas. He finished last season in the 25th percentile for Fielding Run Value and the 24th percentile for Range, though he did record an above-average Baserunning Run Value). He’s also arbitration-eligible in 2025.
A deal with the Dodgers for Lux might be slightly more complicated, as they’d likely be seeking something to strengthen their World Series odds in 2025. Meanwhile, the Padres are trying to shed payroll and want to start rebuilding their farm system.
No deal appears imminent and both players have issues that don’t solve some of the Yankees’ problems from last season. However, after spending big in MLB free agency, New York is now pursuing more cost-effective options to replace Torres at second base.