Yankees’ second base trade solution goes to Reds in surprise deal
The New York Yankees had been inquiring about infielder Gavin Lux according to Jeff Passan of ESPN earlier this morning, but they’ll have to scratch him off their infield list. Jeff Passan broke the news that the Dodgers have agreed to trade Lux to the Reds in a move that came out of nowhere, as while many expected Los Angeles to entertain a trade for the left-handed hitting infielder, the Mariners and Yankees were the two teams with public interest. A report from Pat Ragazzo indicated that Seattle had been far more aggressive in their pursuit of the 27-year-old than New York.
In return for Lux, the Dodgers are getting OF Mike Sirota, who was the Reds’ third-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft alongside a compensation pick.
Gavin Lux Comes Off the Board, Yankees May Have to Look Elsewhere
While the Yankees had interest in Gavin Lux, its the Reds who wound up landing him as they boost their infield depth chart with the left-handed hitting infielder. Last season he posted a 100 wRC+ with 10 home runs as he struggled to return from an ACL tear at first, but quickly found his swing in July as he increased his bat speed and began hitting the ball with serious authority.
A young infielder with solid speed and a solid glove, the Reds are banking on the defense taking a step forward now that he has a full season under him after his ACL surgery, which robbed him of an entire season in 2023. The Dodgers’ acquisition of Hye-Seong Kim earlier this week created complications with Gavin Lux’s playing time as both are left-handed hitting infielders while the aforementioned Kim has much more versatility.
For the Yankees, their sights may be set on acquiring Luis Arraez, who Jeff Passan also linked to them in that very same report.
READ MORE: Yankees could luck into huge bounce-back year from $12.5 million investment
An obscure fit considering his lack of defensive skills and slow-footed speed, Luis Arraez would help the Yankees in one very important area: OBP. The Yankees do not have many high OBP threats in their lineup, as Aaron Judge stands out as the main guy who has a high OBP on the roster. Given that he has just one year of control left, the Yankees could have an easier time acquiring him in a trade, especially since the Padres owe him a projected $14.6 million in his final year of arbitration.
He’s won three straight batting titles, winning both in the American League and National League, and the Yankees could hone in on him on the trade market due to the money he’s owed and the unwillingness for some smaller market teams to pay that kind of money for a player. Whether the Yankees pull off a deal or not remains to be seen, as Brian Cashman will continue to survey the market for options.
