The NY Yankees could be in the trade market for a shortstop and names like Pete Kozma, Nick Franklin, Jimmy Rollins, Didi Gregorius and Brad Miller could come up after Brendan Ryan injured his back and now he is likely to start the season on the disabled list and that leaves New York scrambling for a backup for starter Derek Jeter.
According to Hardball Talk, Ryan will likely start the season on the DL and he has been out of action in the spring since March 4 and the Yankees may try to swing a deal before spring training to get another player behind Jeter. The team had been shopping Francisco Cervelli and the Mariners were interested in making a deal for David Phelps and that could lead to Seattle and New York swapping pitching for hitting, as the Mariners have Nick Franklin to dangle and he is a natural shortstop that played second base last season.
Franklin lost his starting job after the Mariners signed Robinson Cano to a contract and now he is competing with Brad Miller for the shortstop position for 2014. Both players could be on the market for a trade with the Mariners, but right now it appears that Franklin is the more likely option to get traded. According to Hardball Talk, the Detroit Tigers and NY Mets have been interested in Franklin at various times over the last month and now the Yankees could get involved as well, as Franklin can play second base and that could be insurance for that position as well with Brian Roberts starting for the team this season.
Ryan came over from the Yankees in a trade with the Mariners and he has one of the best gloves in baseball and they signed him to a two-year, $5 million deal, but now with the injury the team could look to make a move. Jeter is coming into the season after missing nearly all of last year with injuries and that means the Yanks need a solid insurance policy in case he gets injured again. ESPN.com has reported that Cervelli is getting no interest on the trade market and the team likely will use Phelps as bait, especially if Michael Pineda can make the rotation, which would make Phelps more expendable.
The NY Post mentioned Gregorius as a potential option for the Yankees, as Chris Owings appears to have the inside track at the starting position for the Diamondbacks. The Yankees could look to make that deal, as Arizona wanted pitching in the offseason, while Pete Kozma is also a potential target, as ESPN.com is reporting that he is on the block once again for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Yankees may not go after a "big" deal, but they need someone behind Jeter and one of those names could be the pick. The Yankees are coming into the season with high expectations and the so are the Mariners and with Hisashi Iwakuma and Taijuan Walker out to start the season, Phelps could be the perfect player to dangle to Seattle in a deal for Franklin, who could be valuable as an SS and 2B.