MLB Trade Deadline Approaches, New York Yankees Target Johnny Cueto

As the trade deadline nears, each MLB team is determining whether or not they are contenders and whether or not they want to move on that impulse. For the New York Yankees, they find themselves in first place in the American League East. The AL East could be looked at in two ways from the Yankees perspective. One, it has the most teams .500 or better and the Yankees are more than 5 games over .500. As with a lot of teams looking for more than just getting into the playoffs, the Yankees will be taking a long hard look at Cincinnati Reds ace Johnny Cueto, who is a free agent at the end of the year and thus, only a rental at best.

An article in The Inquistr said that the Yankees had scouts watching Cueto as he and the last place Cincinnati Reds took on their intra-state rival, the Cleveland Indians. Drew Silva of HardballTalk suggested that Cueto could be a natural fit in New York, "He's used to pitching in power-friendly environments: Yankee Stadium and Great American Ball Park are second and third behind Coors Field in runs allowed for the 2015 season."

In Yankee Stadium, where Tampa Bay Rays' radio announcer Dave Wills notes, "Flyballs go out on accident," the value of having a pitcher experienced with that type of atmosphere cannot be overstressed. The question is whether the Yankees have enough talent to pry Cueto away from other interested teams' clutches, specifically the talent laden Kansas City Royals and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Why Johnny Cueto is so appealing to the New Yankees is simple, according to HardballTalk. "Cueto entered his start Sunday afternoon against the Indians with a 2.73 ERA (140 ERA+), 0.90 WHIP, and 113/22 K/BB ratio in 118 2/3 innings. He's used to pitching in power-friendly environments:"

Another key addition that could make the Yankees favorites is Oakland A's second baseman, Ben Zobrist. Injured a lot of the season, his .258 average and 5 home runs don't begin to express his true value, especially to a veteran team like the Yankees, who are hoping to win the World Series. Able to play anywhere on the field, he has given his previous managers a whole lot of flexibility with which to maneuver their line ups as they see fit.