Washington Nationals: Trade Profile Mike Yastrzemski

Next up for our trade profiles is the San Fransisco Giants outfielder and baseball royalty, Mike Yastrzemski. Would a trade make sense?

In our last trade piece, we covered Daniel Murphy, while this time we will be exploring the San Francisco Giant’s outfielder, Mike Yastrzemski. Adam Eaton has struggled this year in the outfield and his replacements haven’t fared much better. Yastrzemski can play all three outfield positions and has a decent bat.

Trade Target: Mike Yastrzemski

Position: Outfield

Team: San Francisco Giants

Why This Trade Makes Sense

Yastrzemski is only 29, hasn’t reached arbitration yet, and won’t be a free agent until 2026. He made his MLB last season with the Giants and had a modest rookie year. In 107 games, he hit .272, with 21 homers, 55 RBIs, and posted an OPS of .852. His wRC+ and OPS+ of 121 respectively were both above average. His plate discipline needed some work, due to the fact he only drew 32 walks while striking out 107 times. Fast forward to this season and he has taken his game up a level. In 23 games, he is hitting .305, with five homers, 16 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.064. He leads the league in fWAR with a 1.8, and his wRC+ and OPS+ are through the roof, 187 and 193 respectively. He has raised his walk rate and lowered his strikeout rate, as seen by his 18 walks and 21 strikeouts. Yaz is no Gold Glover, but his defense is reliable. Last year he had two outfield assists, a defensive run saved, and a 0.2 dWAR.

Why It Doesn’t

The Giant’s playoff window has officially closed and the Giants are finally starting to rebuild. However, that is easier said than done, due to the numerous expensive veteran contracts still left on the books. For the Giants to ship out Yaz, they would be expecting a significant haul in return. After all, his production and team-friendly contract makes him a viable piece for any team.  The Nationals have arguably the worst farm system in baseball and will want to avoid making it any more barren.

Is It Possible?

The Nationals would have to dig into their already thin farm system to land Yastrzemski due to him having over five years left on his rookie contract. The Nationals farm system is pretty empty but has plenty of intriguing pitching prospects. This could work out in their favor, as the Giants farm system is light on quality pitching prospects. A combination out of Mason Denaburg, Seth Romero, Tim Cate, Jackson Rutledge, and Wil Crowe, could get a deal done.

Projected Trade Offer

Nationals receive: Mike Yastrzemski

Giants receive: Seth Romero, Time Cate, Mason Denaburg, and a Player to be Named Later.