The New York Yankees own the best record in MLB, which likely means there will be plenty of rumors and reports of them being buyers at the trade deadline.
Though the July 30 trade deadline is still six weeks away, the Yankees will need to use this time to evaluate where they need to make additions as they make a second-half push.
Even while sporting one of the better bullpens in MLB, it seems they have their eyes on a pair of shutdown relief pitchers.
According to Jon Heyman of The Post, the Yankees are eyeing potential trades for Chicago White Sox lefty starter Garrett Crochet and Miami Marlins reliever lefty Tanner Scott.
Both southpaws are enjoying incredible seasons for their respective teams. Crochet (3.16 ERA) has been a strikeout savant with 116 punch-outs in 82.2 innings pitched—both career-high marks. His 32.2% whiff rate sits in the 91st percentile while his 35.7% strikeout rate is 97th percentile.
There are some questions that come with the 24-year-old lefty, though. The former first-round pick is already well past a career-high in innings pitched so it raises the question as to how far the Yankees would be willing to push him down the stretch.
Scott, on the other hand, is 29-year-old veteran who is sporting a spectacular 1.93 ERA. He has 31 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched while his 83.0 mph average exit velocity sits in the 100th percentile among pitchers.
Though his strikeout numbers may not be stellar, his 31.8% whiff rate is in the 90th percentile, and the Yankees will love his high ground-ball rate (94th percentile).
The Yankees have a solid pitching staff, but they need more swing-and-miss stuff. Both Crochet and Scott can provide aid in that department so it will be interesting to see if anything comes of these reports.
For more Yankees coverage, check out Kevin Hickey's work on Sporting News.
