All-Star Infielder of AL East Rival Viewed as Ideal Fit For Yankees

Could the New York Yankees really strike a deal of this magnitude with an AL East rival at the trade deadline?

Jun 21, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) celebrates his solo home run in the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees have a bit of time to spare before they need to ultimately decide whether they're going to swing a significant trade for a corner infielder, specifically a first baseman.

For now, the team is holding auditions between rookie top prospect Ben Rice, newcomer J.D. Davis and struggling veteran DJ LeMahieu. But LeMahieu is still the Yankees' everyday third baseman with super utility man Oswaldo Cabrera seeing time at the hot corner as well. And Rice and Davis will platoon at first for the time being, as manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Sunday.

Should this formula not work out, the Yankees will certainly be in the hunt for a first baseman and/or third baseman at the trade deadline at the end of next month.

One name that has been brought up comes as a bit of a surprise because the slugger plays for the AL East rival Toronto Blue Jays.

As rival executives and scouts told Sports Illustrated, as first reported in this piece for Inside the Mets, Toronto's first baseman/DH Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is seen as an ideal fit for the Yankees. Mets first baseman Pete Alonso could be available at the deadline, but his chances of landing in the Bronx appear to be slim to none.

Back to Guerrero; Would the Blue Jays actually send their homegrown star to a team in their division?

Rival execs and talent evaluators believe Toronto's front office would take the best package for Guerrero even if that means sending him to the Yankees.

Guerrero, 25, comes along with another year of control as well, so the Blue Jays would likely ask for a substantial return if they were to trade him this summer.

For his career, he has made the AL All-Star team in each of the last three seasons, won a Gold Glove Award at first base in 2022 and led the league in home runs in 2021.

In 77 games in 2024, Guerrero is slashing .279/.363/.411 with a .774 OPS, nine home runs and 33 RBIs. His bat would help lengthen a top-heavy Yankee offense led by AL MVP favorites Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, as well as second-year shortstop Anthony Volpe. New York also lost a big slugger in DH Giancarlo Stanton over the weekend, who is expected to miss at least the next four weeks with a left hamstring strain.

The Yankees are banged up at the moment, not only losing Stanton, but first baseman Anthony Rizzo as well. Rizzo is out for eight weeks with an arm fracture, which could make the club more inclined to add another first baseman, beyond Davis, on the trade market in late-July.

Rivals think there is no shot Alonso winds up a Yankee, but see it differently with Guerrero, who despite playing in the AL East, is considered a strong fit for the Bronx Bombers.