How The Yankees’ Luke Voit Trade Fell Through

The New York Yankees had a deal in place to trade first baseman Luke Voit at the MLB trade deadline. Voit lost his starting job after Anthony Rizzo was acquired

Pat Ragazzo | Aug 6, 2021

Talk about getting stuffed at the goal line.

After acquiring first baseman Anthony Rizzo from the Cubs ahead of the trade deadline, the New York Yankees were actively shopping Luke Voit on the market.

However, the team was unable to deal the injured first baseman, which means he will resume a bench role once he returns from his third stint on the IL this season due to left knee inflammation.

Although they hung onto Voit, they were actually very close to trading the 2020 MLB home run leader. And at one point, it looked as though he was going to be sent elsewhere.

According to Andy Martino of SNY, at around 3:30 p.m. last Friday, approximately 30 minutes before the trade deadline, the Yankees reportedly had a deal in place to trade Voit to an undisclosed team. But this trade partner apparently had second thoughts and pulled out of these talks at the last minute.

What the Yankees Adding Anthony Rizzo Means For Luke Voit

Voit has had a disappointing season for the Yankees, where he has dealt with a slew of injuries, limiting him to just 29 games. The 30-year-old is slashing .241/.328/.370 with a .698 OPS, to go along with three homers and 11 RBIs in a mere 108 at-bats.

With Rizzo displacing him at first, and potentially being a candidate for a contract extension following the season, in all likelihood, Brian Cashman and the Yankees will once again look to trade Voit this offseason.

Voit is making $4.7 million this year, and is under cheap pre-arbitrary control until 2025, which makes him an attractive low-risk, high-reward trade target for opposing teams.

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Published Aug 6, 2021

PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for Sports Illustrated's Mets and Yankees On SI websites. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has been seen on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.