The New York Yankees are trying not to spend money while reloading on bats and pitching. One of the weaknesses that plagued the team in 2015 was the infield and lack of production from Stephen Drew, Dustin Ackley and Rob Refsnyder. That has left the team to consider other options and one could end up being a trade with the Chicago Cubs.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times and New York Daily News, the Yankees and Cubs are discussing a trade for Castro during the winter meetings of general managers.In the trade the Yankees and Cubs would swap Castro for outfielder Brett Gardner who has also fallen out of favor with the team. At first glance, this deal makes sense for both teams. The Yankees are not happy with Refsnyder and Ackley as their future of the infield while Castro has fallen from grace in Chicago. Both players are also both signed to affordable deals. Gardner is owed $36 million in guaranteed through 2018 while Castro is owed $37 million through 2019.
The Yankees have been eyeing a trade of Gardner since acquiring Aaron Hicks. Castro may or may not be an upgrade in the infield. The shortstop is coming off a disappointing year where he put up just a .265 batting average with just 11 home runs. He was supposed to be traded during the middle of the year, but the Cubs did not pull off the deal. Now the All-Star has fallen on the Yankees' radar.
The Yankees are looking for pitching, but they do need to address their infield issues. The trade for Castro would be a very low-risk deal considering they do not need Gardner in the mix. According to Wallace Matthews of ESPN, the Yankees are getting linked to Daniel Murphy in free agency, but they are not expected to make a true run at the New York Mets star. Murphy does not meet the criteria of young and cheap which is what the Yankees want. Murphy is aging and will command a large contract. The same can be said for Ben Zobrist who is also on the Yankees radar. Acquiring Castro might be the better move while New York hopes that someone like Refsnyder develops into the player they are hoping he can become. He had lackluster showings in 2015, but there is hope that 2016 will be better for the young prospect.