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BOSTON – Just before the Yankees head to Tampa, the Rays beefed up their roster.
The Rays acquired designated all-star hitter Nelson Cruz from the Twins on Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times was first to report.
The Yankees begin a three-game series at Tropicana Field on Tuesday with Tampa Bay. They were preparing to face the Red Sox at Fenway Park when news of the exchange broke.
Some thoughts on the Yankees:
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Classification : As the July 30 trade deadline approached, the Yankees were seven games behind for the Red Sox at No. 1 in the American League East. They were six games behind the Rays and were hoping to gain some ground on them next week. Will the Yankees buy? Will they sell? This weekend in Boston could go a long way in determining GM Brian Cashman’s response.
A commercial target: The Twins are likely to be a team the Yankees will stay in constant touch with for the rest of the month. It’s clear Minnesota is in sell mode, and they have pitchers (Jose Berrios, Michael Pineda, JA Happ) and bats (Josh Donaldson, Max Kepler, etc.) that could be moved.
What the Rays get: Cruz played his seventh All-Star game this season. In 85 games, he reached .294 with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs. He has a .907 OPS – higher than his career rating of .878 OPS. He is 41 and will be a free agent at the end of the season. They had to give up minor league right-hangers Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman. MLB Pipeline ranks Ryan 10th among Rays prospects and Strotman 17th.
What do the Yankees need? Many. Specifically, they could use a left-handed hitter, and that would help if he was playing center field or left field. The Yankees were also looking for starting pitchers and relievers, although they are hoping Luis Severino could return in late August and Corey Kluber could join them in September. They have been linked with left-handed outfielder Joey Gallo of the Rangers.
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Brendan Kuty can be reached at [email protected]. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
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