LATEST UPDATE: New York Yankees trade Aaron Judge and Juan Soto for offense
As the trade deadline nears, the New York Yankees have key positions to address. Although Aaron Judge and Juan Soto have been leading the offense, the infield needs reinforcement. Joel Reuter from Bleacher Report suggests a trade that would send Luis Rengifo from the Los Angeles Angels to the Yankees in exchange for Everson Pereira.
Reuter noted, “Luis Rengifo has played regularly at second base, shortstop, and third base for the Los Angeles Angels. The offensive-minded utility player is batting .305/.354/.413 with a 116 OPS+, 15 extra-base hits, and 20 steals in 62 games.”
The Yankees are facing challenges with Anthony Rizzo struggling and currently out with a forearm injury, DJ LeMahieu underperforming post-injury, and Gleyber Torres delivering below-average results, leading to his benching on June 26. Rengifo could potentially bolster the struggling infield.
Rengifo Bolsters the Yankees’ Infield
The Yankees have struggled with production from second and third base this season, ranking 27th in OPS for both positions, as noted by Reuter.
Luis Rengifo would provide a reliable bat to an infield in need of consistency. Additionally, with Gleyber Torres set to become a free agent this offseason, Rengifo could be a valuable asset beyond 2024. Rengifo boasts a higher average and OPS than any of the Yankees’ current starters at second and third base.
Reuter writes, “The 27-year-old is controllable through 2025, so he could also serve as a built-in replacement for upcoming free agent Gleyber Torres next year.”
Trading for Rengifo would cost the Yankees their No. 5 prospect, Everson Pereira. Pereira has been productive at the Triple-A level but may face a difficult path to the major league roster due to an outfield logjam.
“Outfielder Everson Pereira hit .300/.373/.548 with 18 home runs and 64 RBI in the upper levels of the minors last year, and he has an .859 OPS with 10 long balls in 40 games at Triple-A this year,” Reuter notes. “The Yankees have a logjam in the outfield and a clear need on the infield, so a one-for-one swap makes sense for both sides.”
Yankees Infield Struggles
Gleyber Torres has struggled this season, posting a .215/.294/.333 slash line in 80 games. His performance on June 25 led manager Aaron Boone to bench him.
“I actually went to bed last night with him in the lineup, slept on it and kind of toiled over it a little bit this morning,” Boone said. “I just felt like this is a good time to get a little reset. Hopefully, it’s something that serves him well and propels him.”
DJ LeMahieu has been playing regularly since his return from the injured list but has also struggled, hitting .178/.274/.178 in 23 games this season. Although he might improve as he recovers further, his current performance is concerning.
Luis Rengifo could provide much-needed offensive support at second or third base, potentially replacing Torres or LeMahieu. The Yankees might also need to target a first baseman at the trade deadline due to Anthony Rizzo’s injury and struggles.
“First baseman Anthony Rizzo has also struggled this season, and he is currently sidelined with a forearm fracture, so finding some infield help figures to be a top priority for the Yankees at the deadline,” wrote Reuter.