After a red-hot start to the season, the New York Yankees have found themselves in quite a tailspin.
This past weekend provided the Bombers with a golden opportunity to get back on track against the rival Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
Other than Ben Rice’s historic three-homer performance on Saturday, there weren’t too many bright spots for the Yankees as they ended up losing two of three to the surging Sox.
Now sitting at 55-37, the Yankees find themselves three-games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East.
Thanks to their recent hot streak, the Red Sox aren’t too far behind in the race as they now hold a 49-40 record.
With the trade deadline quickly approaching, one of the big names expected to be up for grabs is Toronto Blue Jays’ slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Despite high expectations over the past few years, the Jays have been one of the biggest disappointments in all of baseball.
Currently sitting in the basement of the division with a 41-49 record, Toronto may very well look to blow things up and start from scratch.
Guerrero is a household name – not just because of his Hall of Fame father – but because he has often flashed brilliance and is one of the more promising young players in baseball.
Interestingly, Guerrero previously stated that under no circumstance would he ever play for the Yankees.
“Not even (when I’m) dead,” he said two years ago.
“That’s my decision, and I will never change that.”
Well, it appears he actually has changed his stance … What a shock, huh??
Speaking to Spanish outlet Virus Deportivo, Guerrero indicated that he’s open to whatever the future holds for him – even if that means wearing pinstripes.
“I’m a worker, professional, and I go out on the field and play,” Guerrero said. “Sometimes you say things – it’s not that I am trying to take back what I said about the Yankees, what do I say, I don’t hold back what I said about the Yankees – but this is a business.
“I sat down and spoke with my dad and my family, and this is a business … Like I tell you, I’m a player and if a team picks me or if they do something, it’s because they need it, obviously, and I’ll be happy to help any team.
“But right now, I’m just focused on helping my team try to get out of this bad streak.”
Guerrero is 25-years-old and is batting .295 with 13 home runs and 52 RBIs to go along with a .830 OPS this season.
He is far from the only big-name player on Yankees general manager Brian Cashman’s radar. However, there is a large portion of the fan base who have him ranked pretty high on the priority list.
Having said that, could the rival Red Sox potentially swoop in and beat Cashman to the punch?
Boston has exceeded expectations to this point and has been one of the more pleasant surprises in all of baseball.
Despite being legitimate playoff contenders, Sox fans (and manger Alex Cora) are clearly annoyed by the lack of aggression and overall belief shown by ownership and the front office.
Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow eats, sleeps and breathes analytics – and he’s made it clear that he’s not sold on this current Sox team being realistic World Series contenders.
While no one will mistake the 2024 Red Sox with the 1927 Yankees, the fact that Breslow and the “computer guys” upstairs value what their spreadsheets tell them more than what their actual eyes do has been a source of great frustration for Boston fans.
What are your thoughts on the current state of both the Yankees and Red Sox?
Do you think Guerrero should be on both of their radars?
At the end of the day, what do you see happening at the trade deadline?
Will Guerrero be wearing pinstripes come August???