New York Yankees Linked to NL Club as Potential Trade Partners

The New York Yankees and this NL club would make strong trade partners.

Jul 12, 2020; Bronx, New York, United States; A view of the New York Yankees logo and seat number of an empty seat during a simulated game during summer camp workouts at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees are going to have to get creative at the trade deadline to fix a number of holes, and this NL club would be a solid match to do business with in the next four days.

MLB insider Jon Morosi listed the Chicago Cubs as a potential trade partner for the Yankees, specifically mentioning second baseman Nico Hoerner and outfielder Mike Tauchman as fits.

As Morosi pointed out, both Hoerner and Tauchman have been the Cubs' two main leadoff hitters this season; an area the Yankees have struggled in with DJ LeMahieu, Anthony Volpe, Ben Rice and now Gleyber Torres filling the lineup slot.

The Yankees have landed a number of players from Chicago via trade in recent years: Scott Effross (2022), Anthony Rizzo (2021), Aroldis Chapman (2016), Starlin Castro (2015) and Alfonso Soriano (2013). It's possible that the Cubs, who indicated that they will sell at this year's deadline, will go back to the well by striking another deal with New York before the July 30 deadline date.

Hoerner is slashing .257/. 335/.351 with a .686 OPS, four home runs and 30 RBIs in 95 games for the Cubs this season. While the 27-year-old is having a better campaign than Torres, the Yankees would probably prefer to upgrade at third base from LeMahieu instead. Hoerner has minimal experience at the hot corner in his big-league career. That said, Hoerner is under club control for two more years, and Torres is set to become a free agent in the offseason, so the Yankees would have their second baseman in 2025 and 2026 locked down.

As for Tauchman, who was once a former Yankees' fan favorite from 2019-2021, he is not having a great year (.701 OPS), but still slashing (.246/.343/.358) better than Alex Verdugo (.228/.286/.366). His left-handed bat also fits well, and he is under team control for two more seasons.