Inside The Pinstripes

Report: Yankees Discussing Possible Matt Olson Trade

The New York Yankees have reportedly had conversations internally about a possible trade for Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson this offseason.

Max Goodman

As baseball's hot stove heats up this offseason, with the General Managers Meetings kicking off this week, there's one possible blockbuster trade that Yankees fans need to keep an eye on.

New York has already had internal discussions about a possible Matt Olson trade with the Oakland Athletics, according to Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media.

Factor in the reporting of SNY's Andy Martino—who revealed Monday that Olson is "likely" on the move this offseason—and the slugger could be New York's answer at first base.

Now, it's not that easy. Even if Oakland begins to trade away pieces this winter and reset the franchise, Olson is still a budding superstar with two years of control left on his contract. The Athletics would be silly to move on from a player of Olson's caliber, right?

Well, after the franchise allowed manager Bob Melvin to walk this offseason, taking a job with the San Diego Padres, it certainly seems like Oakland is open for business with their players as well. With the right package, sending value back to California, these two teams have the potential to be a good match.

As Kuty noted, New York and Oakland have recently negotiated on a big trade as well. Remember when the Yankees acquired starter Sonny Gray in a deal including three top prospects (outfielder Dustin Fowler, infielder Jorge Mateo and right-hander James Kaprielian) back in 2017?

Earlier this offseason, former general manager Jim Bowden proposed a trade that sends Luke Voit, Gleyber Torres and Domingo Germán to the A's in exchange for Olson. Maybe rather than three MLB playerz, New York would need to mix in one of their top offensive prospects. 

Olson is coming off a monster season, clubbing 39 home runs, driving in 111 runs, scoring 101 runs and posting a .911 OPS, all career highs in a full season. He's durable (156 games played in 2021 and all 60 during the pandemic-shortened campaign in 2020), plays solid defense (six errors at first in 1338.2 innings last year) and would do some series damage in Yankee Stadium with his pull-side power.

The Yankees could bring back Anthony Rizzo instead of adding Olson, though. Kuty notes that there are members of the organization that believe in Rizzo, a proven veteran that could have been hampered by back issues in pinstripes a year ago.

Rizzo, along with a group including Brett Gardner and Corey Kluber, entered free agency this offseason.

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Max Goodman
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.

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