New York Yankees Reach Out To Mets Regarding Duda, Reed (Report)
May 27, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Addison Reed (43) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

With trade discussions between the New York Yankees and Mets involving Lucas Duda and Addison Reed, a cross-town trade could be approaching.

Trade deadline talks are in full swing and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com has reported that the New York Yankees have reached out to the Mets about first baseman Lucas Duda and relief pitcher Addison Reed.

A source told ESNY on July 7 that the Yankees have discussed Duda before but now that Reed is in the mix, it’s interesting to see the crosstown rivals in legitimate conversation with two logical fits for the Bombers.


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Both Duda and Reed veterans slated to hit the free agent market when the dust settles on 2017. With the Yankees right in the thick of things for an American League playoff spot and the Mets’ season seemingly lost, it’s quite clear to see the interest in pulling off the biggest Queens/Bronx swap since the Mets traded third baseman Robin Ventura to the Yankees for outfielder David Justice.

Duda seems like the most logical fit. The Yankees own a .635 OPS from first base this season (second-to-last in all of baseball) and the answer to those woes is unlikely to be found by platooning Ji-Man Choi or Garrett Cooper for the rest of the season.

This season, the lefty slugger owns a .248/.355/.550 slash line with 16 home runs and a wRC+ of 135. The addition of a big lefty bat into the lineup would do wonders for a Yankee team that have gone 9-21 since they were a season-high 15G over .500 at the end of play on June 12.

Reed, although the Yankees employ the back-end tandem of Aroldis Chapman and Dellin Betances, would be an upgrade to the Yankees’ bullpen. With Tyler Clippard lost, the 28-year-old, who owns a 2.47 ERA and a strikeout rate of 9.3 this season, would help bring stability to the middle innings. With the way Chad Green (1.75 ERA) and Adam Warren (1.91 ERA) have been throwing the ball recently, Reed would form a feared middle relief corps.



In terms of what Sandy Alderson be looking for in return, a source tells ESNY it all depends on the bidding war that may transpire. There are a lot of players in on Addison Reed and the Mets are in a position where they may want to add close-to-major-league-ready talent. Both perspectives considered, the asking price with Reed in the picture may be a tad too high for Brian Cashman to sell some of the farm for.

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