Yankees and Pirates Should Ignite MLB With This Surprise Trade

While we're all stuck in quarantine, MLB teams have been given the gift of an extended offseason.

With that in mind, the Yankees should address their rotational depth, especially with Luis Severino out long-term and the injury history of one James Paxton. New York needs arms, and they need not look any further than their friends to the West for help. Ben Cherington is in charge in Pittsburgh, and he's looking to make the most of a roster full of misfits. The Bucs need to get younger and improve their farm system.

These two could be a match made in heaven.

Joe Musgrove was a key player in the deal that originally sent Gerrit Cole to Houston, so trading the lanky righty a mere two years after acquiring him would be admitting defeat for the old regime, but we wouldn't necessarily blame them. At 27, Musgrove is entering his prime off a down year. Despite this, his value might never be higher, especially if his ERA and WHIP continue to decrease, as they did in 2019. His team-friendly deal and relatively high upside mean the Pirates would request Clint Frazier right off the bat. This, as any Yankees fan will be quick to tell you, is not on the table -- but aiming high is not a mistake by Cherington.

A respectable return would be Michael King, who at 24 is an MLB-ready pitcher Pittsburgh could either insert in the rotation, or use as a reliable bullpen arm in the wake of Felipe Vazquez's arrest.

King alone wouldn't do Musgrove's talent justice. Antonio Gomez, the second-best catching prospect in the Yankees' system and just an 18-year-old, would be an intriguing fit with the Pirates, who currently lack any backstops in their top-30 rankings, per MLB Pipeline.

Pittsburgh gets an intriguing young MLB-ready pitcher and their hopeful catcher of the future, while the Yankees receive a proven middle-rotation starter on an affordable team-friendly deal. We see no issues.