Yankees Trade Rumors: Miguel Andujar Being Shopped? Rival Execs Say NY Wants To Deal Third Baseman

Miguel Andujar might want to get used to hearing his name in trade rumors. Rival executives believe the New York Yankees want to deal their young third baseman.

Ken Rosenthal reported on MLB Network Monday morning that other teams have said the Yankees are looking to trade Andujar because of his defense. The 23-year-old might have been the worst starting defensive third baseman during his rookie season, and there were reports during last week’s Winter Meetings that New York was including him in trade proposals.

New York was reportedly prepared to put Andujar in a three-way trade that involved the Miami Marlins and New York Mets. The Yankees would have received starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard with catcher J.T. Realmuto going to the Mets. That deal is probably off the table.

There have been rumors that the Yankees might also be interested in acquiring Realmuto, whom Miami wants to trade. An Andujar-for-Realmuto swap seems unlikely since New York still has Gary Sanchez behind the plate, and the third baseman’s defensive deficiencies could give him less value to a National League team.

Rosenthal suggested that the San Diego Padres could be a potential destination for Andujar because they’ve shown an interest in acquiring subpar defensive third basemen. The Padres have been involved in trade rumors for both Realmuto and Syndergaard.

According to Fangraphs, Andujar ranked last in 2018 with minus-25 defensive runs saved among all third basemen. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman reported in July that the Yankees were concerned about Andujar's lack of patience at the plate and his defensive struggles, though New York general manager Brian Cashman disputed that notion.

Whether or not Andujar gets traded might ultimately depend on what happens with Manny Machado. The Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox are scheduled to meet with the star free agent this week. If New York signs Machado, he would likely become their long-term third baseman and make Andujar expendable.

Machado would likely start at shortstop for New York in the short term as Didi Gregorius recovers from Tommy John Surgery. Gregorius will be a free agent after the 2019 season.

Andujar finished second in the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year race. He hit .297/.328/.527 with 27 home runs in 149 games.