This Yankees-Diamondbacks Trade for Robbie Ray Could Actually Work

To say the New York Yankees are in need of some help in the starting rotation would be a gross understatement. James Paxton's status is up in the air and Luis Severino is out for the season, leaving the Yankees searching for someone to shore up the staff. Whether or not that additional arm comes from within the organization remains to be seen, but they could re-up their pursuit of one veteran lefty in 2020.

Arizona Diamondbacks strikeout machine Robbie Ray was sought after by the Yanks at last year's deadline, though nothing materialized. Well, should the Yankees find themselves looking for a stable option at the back-end of the rotation around the deadline, perhaps they'll be able to land the 28-year-old this time.

Ray has consistently proven himself to be a reliable starter. Even after a pedestrian campaign last year, he still owns a 3.72 ERA over the last three seasons, missing bats to the tune of a 31.9% strikeout rate in the process.

Even a year of his services would require a decent package. If the Yankees wanted to land Ray, it would likely take a quality pitching prospect like Alexander Vizcaino, the organization's No. 7 overall prospect. The 22-year-old right-hander owns a mid-to-upper 90s fastball that, if honed properly, could make him a valuable piece in the future.

The Diamondbacks would likely need another piece to make the deal worthwhile, so the Yankees could include one of Yoendrys Gomez or Luis Medina, both of whom are right-handed pitchers who rank in New York's organizational top-10, but aren't expected to be MLB ready for a few more years.

A deal like this might further thin New York's depth in the pipeline, but it would well be worth it to acquire Ray and keep this team competitive as it vies for a World Series title.