Yankees Tried to Trade For Andrelton Simmons at Trade Deadline

The New York Yankees reportedly tried to acquire shortstop Andrelton Simmons from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline. Will the Yankees sign Simmons this offseason?

Max Goodman | Oct 9, 2021

The Yankees moved Gleyber Torres from shortstop to second base early in the month of September, but this report suggests New York was considering the swap far earlier in the season.

According to SNY's Andy Martino, New York attempted to trade for shortstop Andrelton Simmons leading up to the trade deadline.

Martino mentioned the defense-first option as a possible short-term solution at the position, bridging the gap between 2022 and the arrival of top prospects Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza.

Simmons is now a free agent this offseason after signing a one-year deal with Minnesota worth $10.5 million. The veteran had one of the worst seasons of his career with the Twins, hitting just .223 (92-for-412) over 130 games with three home runs and a .558 OPS.

Still, even as he enters his 11th season in the big leagues, Simmons is elite defensively. The 32-year-old finished the season with the fourth-best mark among shortstops in Outs Above Average (16). For reference, Torres finished with the third-worst OAA among qualified shortstop with a -9 OAA. Simmons has also won four Gold Glove Awards in his career, stretching back to his time with the Braves and Angels.

There's always a chance that New York could target one of the top shortstops on the free agent market. This winter's class includes the likes of Carlos Correa, Javier Báez, Trevor Story and Corey Seager.

READ: What Moving Gleyber Torres From Shortstop Tells Us About Yankees’ Future Plans

The organization is high on those aforementioned prospects, though. Perhaps that would lead the Yankees to steer clear of a massive contract at the position, biding their time for the youngsters to get ready for their big-league debuts.

That said, it would be hard to turn down an opportunity to add one of those superstars to an offense that underperformed across the board this past season...

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Published Oct 9, 2021

MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.