The New York Yankees are now at the top of the AL East as the season begins, lifted by the impact on offense from Juan Soto and unexpected help from Anthony Volpe and Oswaldo Cabrera.
However, three-time All-Star Anthony Rizzo has not shown the power at bat that the team wanted, hitting just .240/.313/.307 in 75 at bats. His OPS is at its lowest point since he was a rookie and if he can’t improve his performance, the team may look for help at first base through a trade. slashing Writer Tim Kelly from Bleacher Report mentioned
the possibility of the Yankees trading with the Miami Marlins to get slugger Josh Bell to replace Rizzo. “The Marlins have had a very bad start in 2024, so there's a good chance that Bell — who is in the last year of a two-year, $33 million contract — will be traded again this summer,” wrote Kelly. “Bell could also be a good fit for the Yankees if Rizzo and/or Giancarlo Stanton don’t start performing well.” Former Silver Slugger Josh Bell Might Give the New York Yankees a Midseason Boost
During nine seasons in the major leagues, Bell has a
.258/.346/.451 batting average
, and received a Silver Slugger Award in 2022 and was an All-Star in 2019. In 2024, his batting performance hasn’t been better than Rizzo’s, with just .200/.300/.329, but the switch hitterdoes have a history of improving teams in the middle of the season and his batting showed similar improvement last season. “Josh Bell has mostly played for smaller-budget teams, and when those teams aren’t in contention, they tend to reduce payroll, which has often affected Bell,” added Kelly. “For the second year in a row, Bell is not performing well at the start of the season. But he achieved an OPS just under .800 in the second half of 2023, helping the Marlins, who struggled offensively, make the playoffs for just the fourth time in their history.” The New York Yankees and Miami Marlins Appear Open to Midseason Trade Talks
As the Yankees seek to leave behind a disappointing 2023 season and return to the playoffs this year, it seems that they may make midseason moves if general manager Brian Cashman sees an opportunity for the team to improve.
In addition, the Marlins seem willing to explore almost any chances to free up payroll and rebuild for the future, especially after they
already sent veteran Jon Berti to the Yankees
“It's not too early to imagine the Miami Marlins as a trade-deadline seller, especially since they have already traded one veteran player and considered offers for some of their top players,” stated Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin in The Athletic.
. “If their performance does not get better, first-year general manager Peter Bendix will likely be more willing to break up the team.” If the Yankees do pursue Bell, they may face competition at the deadline. Kelly also mentioned the Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins as other potential landing spots for the slugger, although the Cubs seem to havearrived at their current and future first baseman
with Michael Busch. As first baseman Anthony Rizzo starts the season slowly, the New York Yankees may consider trading with the Miami Marlins for Josh Bell. with Michael Busch.
