**Yankees Predicted to Trade $3.9 Million Starting Pitcher at the Trade Deadline**
The New York Yankees, currently holding a 60-42 record and trailing the Baltimore Orioles by one and a half games in the American League East, are looking to make strategic moves as the trade deadline approaches. Despite a recent 10-20 stretch, they have the opportunity to bolster their roster. Chris Kirschner from The Athletic predicts the Yankees will trade Nestor Cortes to acquire a starting infielder or left fielder by the July 30 deadline.
Kirschner draws a parallel to 2022 when the Yankees traded Jordan Montgomery to the Cardinals for center fielder Harrison Bader. The rationale was that Montgomery wasn’t expected to be part of the playoff rotation, and general manager Brian Cashman aimed to enhance a key defensive position. Cortes, with one more year of team control, retains significant value and could be exchanged for a much-needed infielder or left fielder.
**Cortes’ Season with the Yankees**
Despite criticism during their slump, Cortes remains confident in the Yankees’ potential. On July 16, he expressed his pride in being a Yankee and their consistent playoff contention on social media. Cortes, the Yankees’ opening day starter, may not be crucial in the postseason rotation, which is likely to be led by Gerrit Cole, Marcus Stroman, and Luis Gil. This season, Cortes has a 3.99 ERA in 21 starts, though he has allowed 11 earned runs in his last 8 2/3 innings. In 2023, he posted a 4.97 ERA in 12 starts.
**Yankees’ Trade Deadline Needs**
The Yankees’ offense has struggled, ranking 18th in runs in July after being in the top 10 earlier in the season. DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres, both underperforming, might be replaced. LeMahieu has a .181 batting average in 40 games, while Torres is hitting .229 this year but has improved to .303 in his last 10 games.
On July 9, Cashman stated the team would be “open-minded to a lot of different things” before the trade deadline, acknowledging the need for improvement. Last season, after a strong start, the Yankees faltered and were ultimately swept by the Houston Astros in the playoffs. Cashman hopes to avoid a repeat this year by addressing the team’s deficiencies.
In 2022, the acquisitions of Andrew Benintendi, Frankie Montas, and Harrison Bader didn’t yield the desired results. However, the Yankees are optimistic that 2024 could be different with the right moves at the deadline.
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