The New York Yankees just might swing for the fences before the Major League Baseball trade deadline.
Scott Mitchell of TSN reported Monday the Yankees have inquired with the Toronto Blue Jays about a potential trade package involving starting pitcher Marcus Stroman and closer Ken Giles.
According to Mitchell, the Minnesota Twins also have asked about Stroman and Giles, although it’s unclear whether Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins would trade the two hurlers in one deal or would prefer to execute two separate transactions in his attempt to maximize Toronto’s return.
Landing Stroman and Giles would be a coup for any team, as each has been excellent in his respective role this season.
Stroman, who was just named an All-Star for the first time, is 5-9 with a 3.18 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP and a 3.81 FIP in 18 starts. The 28-year-old right-hander had a shaky 2018 season and left his most recent start due to a pectoral cramp, but he induces ground balls at a solid clip and comes with another year of team control.
Giles, who was traded to Toronto last July in the deal that sent fellow closer Roberto Osuna to the Houston Astros, owns a 1.45 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP and a 1.49 FIP in 31 appearances this season. He has recorded 13 saves while racking up 15.4 strikeouts per nine innings and, like Stroman, won’t hit free agency until after the 2020 campaign. Giles turns 29 in September.
The rotation is the greater area of need for the Yankees, who lead the second-place Tampa Bay Rays by 6.5 games and the third-place Boston Red Sox by nine games in the American League East. But you never can have too much pitching, right?
