Before the season started for the New York Yankees, their fans were extremely excited about the ‘three-headed monster’ they would have protecting the lead heading into the seventh inning and beyond.
But given the Yankees offensive struggles, those same fans now wonder if the team should consider parting with at least one of those tremendous pitchers to fill a greater need on a team that currently has a few.
According to a report by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the San Francisco Giants, who have won three of the last six World Series, are looking into that exact scenario. The Giants have a team ERA of 4.30, and are looking to solidify a bullpen that has only recorded fourteen saves. Bringing in a player like Andrew Miller would give them someone who could pitch in any situation, whether it’s in middle-relief, as a setup man to Giants current closer Santiago Casilla, who owns all of those fourteen saves, or having Miller taking over closing duties full-time.
The reason Miller is so appealing to the Giants is the fact that in 2015, Miller was coming off an 100 strikeout, thirty-six save season, and then was more than willing to become the setup man to Aroldis Chapman, who the Yankees acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds.
For a deal for Miller to happen, the Yankees would have to experience a monumental collapse that would force them into becoming sellers. Even if that were to happen, the asking price for Miller, or any of the “big three” for that matter, would be astronomical.
Rosenthal’s report, however, does mention the Giants top pitching prospect, 23-year-old Tyler Breede. The Giants selected Breede in the first-round of the 2014 MLB Draft, and he has shown ability at Double-A (3.05 ERA) in ten starts this season. Whether or not Breede will be ready for the Major League action in the near future is still up for debate.
As of yet, there has been no official report suggesting that the Yankees and the Giants have had discussions regarding a possible trade. But with the way the Yankees season has been going, this is a topic that should be monitored as the trade deadline continues to approach.
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