According to reports, the Yankees were in trade talks with the New York Mets in regards to outfielder Jay Bruce.
The Yankees missed out on Bruce, as they were willing to offer more prospects in return but wanted the Mets to pay a portion of Bruce’s remaining salary.
Although they missed out on Bruce, the Yankees have shown interest in another Met.
In his “Inside Baseball: AL Notes” article, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the Yankees have shown interest in Neil Walker. Â The 31-year-old infielder is yet another veteran on a short-term deal that the Mets are looking to trade.
Prior to the 2017 season, Walker accepted the Mets’ $17.2 million dollar qualifying offer. As the club extended him a qualifying offer last offseason, they can not extend one again.
With Walker set to hit the free agent market, the Mets are looking to acquire some talent in return. In 71 games this season, the switch-hitting infielder has posted a slash line of .250/.326/.422.
The Yankees have been looking for possible left-handed hitting options to bolster their lineup down the stretch. Internally, the Yankees have some options, as Aaron Hicks has rejoined the big league club and Greg Bird has started a rehab stint. If both players come back healthy, the Bronx Bombers may not need to make a move in the upcoming weeks.
Another issue for the Yankees in facilitating a trade could be the club’s budget. As Heyman noted, the Yankees appear to be near their spending limit, and cites the Jaime Garcia trade as a move that was cost-effective for the club.
If the Yankees are indeed close to their spending limit, an August trade of any sort may not be in the organization’s future. As players continue to go through the waiver-wire, the Yankees will continue to look for ways to improve their roster for the final months of the season.
