Yankees, Dodgers in ‘Bidding War’ For All-Star Infielder: Report

The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly in a bidding war to land All-Star infielder Isaac Paredes from the Tampa Bay Rays. MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the news in his latest column.

“The Tampa Bay Rays have a nice bidding war going between the Dodgers and Yankees for Paredes.”

Both teams have the means to land Paredes, but the Dodgers may have the upper hand, with the Yankees being rivals of the Rays. Tampa Bay may be hesitant to trade the All-Star to a division rival unless they are blown away by a deal.

Nightengale also mentioned that another team is vying for Paredes’s services ahead of the trade deadline. Tampa Bay is likely to receive a strong package back for him if they decide to trade him.

“The Houston Astros are desperately trying to land a starter, focusing on Flaherty and Fedde, and would also love to acquire Rays infielder Isaac Paredes, too.

Paredes made his first All-Star team this season and has hit. 245 with 16 home runs and 55 runs batted in. He has played 101 games for the Rays this season, providing some nice power to the Tampa Bay lineup. The infielder is under team control for three more seasons, likely helping the Rays get a larger trade package back.

The 25-year-old infielder would instantly boost either of the teams’ lineups, but the Dodgers may need him most. They have suffered a plethora of injuries to infielders this season, including Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Chris Taylor, and Miguel Rojas.

Los Angeles is expected to be one of the more active teams ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, and Paredes is in their sights. The Dodgers have one of the strongest farm systems, and the two teams have made trades recently, showing the ability to work together to get a deal done.

The Dodgers are currently in first place within the National League West but have the San Diego Padres climbing strong behind them. A trade for Paredes could strengthen the claim Los Angeles has in the division while also helping to shore up the infield for the stretch run.

Tampa Bay has signaled that it is in sell mode after trading star outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Seattle Mariners and starting pitcher Zach Eflin to the Baltimore Orioles. The Rays tend to trade players at the right time, and it seems that Paredes’s time with Tampa Bay may be coming to an end.

Read more: Rays Trade Randy Arozarena to Mariners in Blockbuster Deadline Deal