Yankees News: Yankees show interest in possible Gavin Lux trade

Sports Illustrated | Pat Ragazzo: The Yankees have reportedly shown interest in trading for Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux to fill the last available spot in the infield. The Dodgers’ signing of KBO second baseman Hyeseong Kim to a three-year deal had many wondering if Lux’s time in Chavez Ravine had come to an end, though Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes refuted that speculation by maintaining that the team’s “mindset” is to enter 2025 with a starting center duo of Lux and Mookie Betts.

Lux would certainly provide an upgrade over the Yankees’ in-house options to play second. While he hasn’t reached the heights his top prospect pedigree promised — in part due to a torn ACL in 2023 — he appeared to hit his stride with an .899 OPS and 152 wRC+ in the second half of 2024. The Yankees will face competition for the 27-year-old with the Mariners seen as his most aggressive suitors.

MLB Trade Rumors | Nick DeedsJanuary 4 marked the four-year anniversary of the Yankees signing Nestor Cortes for his third stint in the Bronx. The then 26-year-old had a 6.72 ERA across 79 major league innings at the time and was signed solely as minor league depth. The Yankees then turned him into an above-average starter at the major league level, and in 93 subsequent appearances, Cortes pitched to a 3.33 ERA (124 ERA+) and 25.2 percent strikeout rate in 489 innings while amassing 9.4 fWAR . He has since been traded along with Caleb Durbin to Brewers for outstanding reliever Devin Williams, and you have to say that turning a minor league depth signing into four years of a mid-rotation starter and one of the league’s best relievers was a big win for the front office.

The athletic | Ken Rosenthal ($): The Yankees’ pennant defense took a big hit when they saw Juan Soto sign with the crosstown rival Mets. They have tried to replace his value in the overall numbers by adding Max Fried, Devin Williams, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt, but perhaps the biggest boost for the Yankees in mitigating Soto’s loss has been the Orioles’ stagnant offseason.

They saw fifth-place Cy Young finisher Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander and his 44 home runs walk out the door. But instead of tapping into the finances of new billionaire owner David Rubenstein, Baltimore has only added 41-year-old starter Charlie Morton, 35-year-old starter Tomoyuki Sugano, outfielder Tyler O’Neill and old friend Gary Sánchez to rebuild their shift schedule. Barring a late-winter blockbuster, the Orioles’ tepid move leaves a gap between them and the division-favorite Yankees.

NJ Advance Media | Brian Fonseca ($): Finally, there is a household name in local news. That’s because Carter Sweeney-Strawberry — grandson of Darryl Strawberry — has committed Rutgers University. The junior outfielder finished the 2024 season among the top ten prep players in the state of Maryland and will now play his college ball just down the road from the stomping grounds his grandfather called home.