Jason Burgos
An MLB scout believes that if the New York Yankees add three specific players before the MLB trade deadline this month, it would make them nearly unbeatable in the American League this fall.
After dominating the AL East for much of the season, the Yankees now find themselves in a dog fight to win the division. The Toronto Blue Jays have developed momentum over the last month, and the Boston Red Sox have come on fast after a recent win streak. It puts major pressure on Brian Cashman to make some impact trades before the July 31 deadline.
During a conversation with NJ Advance Media, an anonymous MLB scout who knows the team well was asked how good he thinks they would be if they made a rumored trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for Eugenio Suarez and Zac Gallen, and pursued Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase. Well, the scout liked those moves for New York and suggested it would make them a near lock to be back in the World Series again this October.
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“They’re frontrunners,” the scout said about the team if they add those three players. “If you have Eugenio Suarez at third base and you have Zac Gallen in the rotation behind Fried, Rodon, and Gil, and you have Clase in the bullpen; if you add all those pieces, your infield gets better, your lineup gets better, your rotation gets better, and your bullpen gets better.
“If the Yankees make those moves, who’s going to beat them in the American League? The Tigers have had a great year. But unless their lineup gets a lot better, they’re not beating the Yankees with Saurez, Gallen, and Clase on the roster.”
Is Emmanuel Clase another Mariano Rivera?
The scout really liked the addition of those three players for the Yankees. But he seemed to be very high on what Clase could bring during the second half. Even mentioning his similarities to legendary pinstripes closer Mariano Rivera.
“Oh my God! Clase is a game changer,” they said. “‘Hey, Clase, go do your Mariano Rivera thing and throw that cutter 100 mph.’ Ballgame. Think about Clase in pinstripes. You know what’s coming, and you still can’t do anything with it.
“If that ain’t Mariano Rivera all over again, I don’t know what is. And if the Yankees get Clase, they can move Williams to the eighth inning and use Weaver to get four or five outs in the sixth and seventh.”
The club has been linked to all three players in recent speculation as we close in on this month’s MLB trade deadline.
