Yankees linked to Cardinals player amid Cody Bellinger trade rumors
May 6, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA;New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) looks on against the Tampa Bay Rays ]during the fifth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Yankees aren’t expected to stand pat ahead of the 2023 MLB trade deadline.
It’s no secret that the Bronx Bombers have been in the market for help in the outfield. Star right fielder Aaron Judge has yet to play since June 3rd as he recovers from a toe injury. Outside of Judge, New York’s other outfield bats have largely been quiet.
The Yankees have been linked to outfielders Cody Bellinger of the Chicago Cubs and Randal Grichuk of the Colorado Rockies. Both veteran sluggers own batting averages hovering around .300 for the season, a feat that not a single Yankees player has matched midway through July.
MLB insider Mark Feinsand, who previously reported the Yankees’ interest in both Bellinger and Grichuk, added one more name to the list: St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Dylan Carlson.
Per source, another outfielder has surfaced as a potential Yankees trade target: Dylan Carlson. The Cardinals announced earlier today that Tyler O’Neill would take over the LF job upon his return from the IL, so a trade of the switch-hitting Carlson wouldn’t be surprising.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 18, 2023
Carlson has played primarily in center field for the Cardinals this season. While Carlson’s defense is definitely a plus, he’s not exactly swinging a hot bat this season compared to the Yankees’ other two trade targets.
The Cardinals outfielder is batting .243 through July 17 and has been even worse over the past month. Carlson is hitting just 6-for-28 with one extra-base hit in July.
The Yankees own a 50-44 record through Monday. They’re a couple of games outside of a Wild Card slot with just a few weeks left before the trade deadline.
With Judge’s return from injury not appearing to be imminent, the Yankees will likely stay active in trade talks until they land one of their targets.
