The New York Yankees have seen their starting rotation do well without Gerrit Cole, keeping the second-best ERA in the major leagues so far.
But after a disappointing 2023 season, the Yankees are determined to be champions, as manager Aaron Boone said, according to the Associated Press. And having reliable starting pitching is something that playoff teams cannot have enough of.
Considering this, the Los Angeles Angels should think of the Yankees as a good place to trade Tyler Anderson before the deadline.
It seems Tyler Anderson could help the New York Yankees as they aim for the playoffs
After nine seasons in the big leagues, Anderson is having a excellent 2024 season, with a 2.74 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 42.2 innings. The 32-year-old left-handed pitcher was an All-Star in 2022, when he got 15 wins with a 2.57 ERA, but he did not perform as well last season. Now, it seems he’s doing well again and could help a contending team, as the Angels are likely to sell.
The Angels hoped to compete in 2024 despite losing Shohei Ohtani to free agency, but it’s not going well,” according to Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors. “Unless something amazing happens in the next few months, they will likely be sellers at the deadline.”
There are doubts that Anderson will maintain his current performance, and the advanced statistics support that. He has a .205 batting average on balls in play (BABIP), which is the sixth lowest in MLB, and a top-11 strand rate, indicating luck may turn against him. But if he continues to perform well by midseason, the Yankees might see him as a necessary boost just before the playoffs.
“Although his results will probably decrease a bit as the year goes on, pitching is always in demand at the deadline, and the Angels might be willing to pay some of his salary to make a deal happen,” McDonald also mentioned.
The Yankees might also like Anderson's contract. He signed a three-year, $39 million deal with the Angels after his All-Star 2022 season, and it will end after next season.
If the Angels start rebuilding at the deadline, the Yankees would probably need to give up some prospects to get Anderson, but a deal could possibly be made even if they keep prized outfielder Spencer Jones.
Jones wasn't part of trade talks for Dylan Cease in the offseason, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. But Anderson isn't as promising as Cease, and the Angels would likely accept a smaller offer for him.
The New York Yankees Might Have Several Pitching Options on the Trade Market
Of course, if the Yankees are willing to give up young players to improve their pitching staff for the playoffs, there should be many choices. Another struggling team, the Chicago White Sox, seems even more likely to sell than the Angels and Nightengale estimated that they will make pitcher Chris Flexen accessible.
“Getting Chris Flexen might be the ideal task for (Yankees pitching coach) Matt Blake, as we’ve observed him improve many relievers for the Yanks,” Nicholas Rome observed for Empire Writes Back. “Since Flexen is currently prepared as a starter, he could become the Yankees long reliever while shifting back into a relief role.”
