The calendar has flipped to June, and with that, MLB trade rumor season is set to begin in earnest.
However, one of the most prominent MLB insiders doesn't believe that the New York Yankees will be the team that makes the most noteworthy move before the July 30 trade deadline.
Appearing on FS1 Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal shed light on how Brian Cashman and company may operate this summer:
"They're pretty close to the $210 million luxury tax threshold, and they have shown little inclination to go over it. So, barring a major shift in course, I don't see them making a major deal. They can do some things around the edges."
The Yankees will enter play on Tuesday evening with a 29-25 record, good for third place in the American League East and 5 1/2 games back of the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays. For a team seemingly constructed to be a World Series contender right now, it's been a disappointing start to the 2021 campaign in the Bronx.
Gerrit Cole - in year two of a nine-year/$324 million deal - has been baseball's best pitcher, with a minuscule 1.78 ERA and a 3.0 fWAR, the highest mark among all pitchers. That said, the Yankees really don't have an obvious No. 2 starter behind Cole, especially now that former American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber is out for two months with a right shoulder strain. Two-time All-Star Luis Severino will make a rehab appearance this Sunday, but the Yankees have to be careful not to become too reliant on him immediately returning to form as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery.
Meanwhile, the team's lineup hasn't lived up to expectations. Despite what's been an excellent season from Aaron Judge, the Yankees are just 24th in runs scored, a year after finishing fourth in the same category. Gary Sanchez, Clint Frazier, Aaron Hicks (now on the 60-day IL), Brett Gardner and DJ LeMahieu have all disappointed to varying degrees.
Theoretically, the Yankees would make sense as landing spots for Trevor Story and/or Max Scherzer, but ownership would have to commit to going over the luxury tax threshold to land either of the two. The way Aaron Boone's squad is currently playing, the Yankees may be better served waiting until the offseason and potentially trying to sign either of the two, rather than adding them to a team that looks like a fringe playoff team.
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