As injury concerns mount at third base, the New York Yankees have intensified trade discussions with the Cincinnati Reds regarding slugger Christian Encarnacion-Strand, sources close to the situation confirm.
The potential deal would address what has become the Yankees’ most glaring roster weakness heading into the 2025 season, despite an otherwise productive offseason that brought in Max Fried, Paul Goldschmidt, Devin Williams, and Cody Bellinger.
LeMahieu’s latest setback accelerates Yankees search
The urgency to address third base increased after DJ LeMahieu recently exited a spring training game with calf tightness, raising fresh concerns about the 36-year-old’s durability. LeMahieu appeared in just 67 games during a disappointing 2024 campaign where he hit a career-low .204 with a .542 OPS.
When asked about LeMahieu’s status, Yankees management has remained cautiously optimistic while acknowledging the need for contingency plans.
The organization has cycled through internal options including Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza during spring training, but neither has seized the opportunity. Cabrera has demonstrated defensive versatility but lacks consistent offensive production for an everyday role, while former top prospect Peraza has yet to translate his minor-league success to the majors.
Encarnacion-Strand’s untapped potential
Encarnacion-Strand, 25, represents an intriguing buy-low opportunity after a hand injury derailed his promising career trajectory. The right-handed slugger burst onto the scene in 2023 with an impressive rookie campaign, slashing .270/.328/.477 with 13 home runs in just 63 games.
His 2024 season proved disappointing as he struggled through injury, appearing in only 36 games and hitting .197. However, his minor league track record remains elite—a .313 batting average with 57 home runs and a .959 OPS across 225 games—suggesting his 2024 regression may be an outlier rather than a trend.
Scouts particularly note Encarnacion-Strand’s raw power, which could flourish in Yankee Stadium’s hitter-friendly confines. His ability to play both first and third base would provide roster flexibility, allowing the Yankees to occasionally rest Goldschmidt while keeping Encarnacion-Strand’s bat in the lineup.
Proposed Yankees-Reds trade package
According to Newsweek’s Drew VonScio, the framework of a potential deal would send two Yankees prospects to Cincinnati:
- Cade Smith, a 21-year-old right-handed pitcher ranked as the Yankees’ No. 11 prospect posted a 3.41 ERA with 112 strikeouts across 95 innings between High-A and Double-A in 2024.
- Roderick Arias, the organization’s No. 7 prospect, a 20-year-old shortstop with five-tool potential who hit .251 with 10 home runs and 19 stolen bases in Single-A last season.
For the Yankees, this package represents a calculated gamble that would preserve their top-tier prospects while addressing an immediate need. Encarnacion-Strand remains under team control through 2029, potentially providing a long-term solution at a position that has lacked stability since Miguel Andújar’s promising 2018 rookie campaign.
Reds’ infield surplus creates opportunity
Cincinnati’s willingness to engage in trade talks stems from their exceptional infield depth. With Elly De La Cruz, Jeimer Candelario, Gavin Lux, and Matt McLain entrenched around the diamond—and prospects Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo pushing for playing time—Encarnacion-Strand has become somewhat expendable.
The Reds, coming off an 84-win season in 2024 and harboring playoff aspirations in 2025, could benefit from additional pitching depth and prospect capital as they look to strengthen their overall roster.
The addition of Smith would provide a near-MLB-ready arm to a pitching staff that ranked 19th in ERA last season, while Arias represents a high-ceiling lottery ticket who could eventually replace shortstop Elly De La Cruz if the latter moves to the outfield as some scouts project.
Decision timeline accelerating
With Opening Day against the Milwaukee Brewers just over three weeks away, the Yankees face increasing pressure to finalize their roster plans. LeMahieu’s recent setback has reportedly accelerated trade discussions, with sources indicating that both teams have exchanged medical information on the players involved.
General Manager Brian Cashman, known for his deadline-driven approach to trades, may need to act quickly as other teams with third-base needs could enter the bidding for Encarnacion-Strand.
For a Yankees team coming off a World Series appearance and built to contend immediately, the potential addition of Encarnacion-Strand represents the final puzzle piece in an already formidable lineup. Whether the slugger will soon don pinstripes remains one of spring training’s most compelling storylines.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Really?? You title your article as “Yankees Trade Talks“, and then open it with “The New York Yankees have intensified trade discussions with the Cincinnati Reds . . . “.
Oh please, you’re just being completely misleading. This is nothing but rumor created by someone completely outside the Yankees organization. Then you conveniently dial it back much later into the article by saying “Lemahieu’s recent setback has reportedly accelerated trade discussions, with sources indicating that both teams have exchanged medical information . . . ” now alluding that the information is not coming from the Yankees at all, as you expressly said it was at the top of the article. You just wanted to create the hook to lead people into reading what you wrote, even if the hook was misleading. Poor journalism.
Then finally you mention that all of this stems from Newsweek reporter Drew VonScio. Last I knew, he wasn’t with the Yankees.