MLB trade rumors: Rays’ Blake Snell for Yankees’ Justus Sheffield, Clint Frazier?

The non-waiver trade deadline in MLB is July 31, 2018 (7/31/18). Yankees general manager Brian Cashman needs a starting pitcher with injuries to Jordan Montgomery and Masahiro Tanaka. Would he trade top prospects such as Justus Sheffield and Clint Frazier?

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Summer officially starts on Thursday. But trade season is well underway in MLB, with the non-waiver deadline approaching next month.

It’s no secret Yankees GM Brian Cashman is looking for a starter. Jordan Montgomery is out for the year because of Tommy John surgery and Masahiro Tanaka is on the DL with a pair of strained hamstrings.

Cashman has already gone on the record as saying he won’t deal the team’s elite prospects, such as Gleyber Torres.

But to get something, you have to give something.

One of the many starting pitchers available on the market is Tampa Bay Rays southpaw Blake Snell.

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, former GM of the Reds and Nationals, imagined a deal between the Rays and Yankees:

Yankees land Blake Snell from the Tampa Bay Rays for Justus Sheffield, Erik Swanson and Clint Frazier

The Yankees are getting back to the postseason. The only question is will it be as AL East champions or as host of the AL wild-card game. However, getting to the World Series poses a greater challenge. To accomplish that they might need to trade for a starting pitcher capable of winning a Game 2 behind Luis Severino. CC Sabathia is solid as their third starter while Sonny Gray looks for consistency and Masahiro Tanaka tries to stay healthy after straining both hamstrings. The Yankees are blessed with two solid rookies with great potential in right-handers Domingo German and Jonathan Loaisiga, but to count on them this postseason would be foolish. Therefore, a trade for a top-of-rotation stud could be a difference-maker in the Yankees’ chances of winning another championship.

The Yankees’ dream targets would include Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard of the New York Mets, Blake Snell and Chris Archer of the Rays and Dylan Bundy of the Baltimore Orioles. Not all are necessarily on the trade block. Other options could include Cole Hamels of the Texas Rangers, Ervin Santana (if he ever gets healthy) of the Minnesota Twins, J.A. Happ of the Toronto Blue Jays and maybe even Brad Hand of the San Diego Padres, who is in the back of their bullpen but is capable of being an impact-type starting pitcher.

I think Snell would be the best fit for the Yankees and an ideal No. 2 starter behind Severino. The Yankees would control Snell through 2022 and in time he should develop into a Cy Young Award candidate. He’s considered the fourth-best left-handed starting pitcher in the league behind Chris Sale and David Price of the archrival Sox and James Paxton of the Mariners. Snell, 25, is 8-4 with a 2.58 ERA and 97 punchouts in only 87.1 innings.

In return, the Yankees would have to overpay with top pitching prospects Sheffield and Swanson, who would go right into the Rays’ starting rotation, and Frazier, who would immediately become their starting left fielder with the talent to produce 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases and above-average defense. High price to pay, but it would be worth it if it pushes the Yankees to another title.

Snag in Machado Orioles-Red Sox talks?

For what it’s worth, Bowden ends his column, “Here are six trades AL contenders should make before the deadline,” with a deal sending Cole Hamels to the Angels.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.