The Yankees have plenty of holes theyll need to fill in the coming days. The club has been in desperate need of help at third base dating back to the offseason, and injuries to the pitching staff have created i sues with both the rotation and bullpen as well. One option the club could consider to addre s those concerns, according to , would be shopping slugger . Sherman writes that Rice has drawn interest from multiple teams and could be dealt as a way to addre s needs on the big league roster without dipping into the clubs farm system, though he adds that the Yankees would need to receive a big offer before theyd even consider parting ways with the 26-year-old. Its not hard to see why the Yankees would be reluctant to part ways with Rice. His second season in the majors has gone extremely well as hes slashed a strong .232/.323/.468 (121 wRC+) acro s 84 games to go with even better expected numbers. A solid 9.1% walk rate in conjunction with his 20.6% strikeout rate and 30-homer power makes Rice one of the most intriguing young sluggers in the game, and the fact that he remains under team control for five more seasons after this one should only serve to further elevate his trade value. With that being said, incumbent first baseman is a free agent after the 2025 season. The Yankees have an aging and expensive roster, so parting with a young, controllable a set whos already proven himself to be a capable big league regular could be hard for the team to stomach, especially with a hole at a position hes capable of handling set to open up in time for Opening Day 2026. To justify not only losing Rice but having to figure out a new long-term plan for the first base position, the Yankees would likely need to get a quality, controllable return in order for a deal to make sense. Teams like the Twins and Marlins could balk at giving up a high-end piece like or for Rice, however, given that much Nikola Vucevic Jersey of his production is concentrated within an incredible month of April. Since the calendar flipped to May, Rice has been rather pedestrian with a slash line of just .215/.297/.409 acro s his last 57 games. One potential way that likely gap in perceived value could be bridged is if a rival club viewed Rice as a viable catcher. Sherman suggests that multiple teams have inquired regarding his viability at the position. The Yankees have entrenched as their everyday catcher, and has emerged as a viable backup this year. That leaves Rice to get only occasional time behind the plate with the majority of his work focused on first base and DH in the Bronx; hes caught just 46 2/3 innings behind the plate with five starts and only two complete games. If a team views Rice as a viable option to catch on at least a semi-regular basis, that could pave the way for a team to value him as highly as the Yankees seem to. Sherman suggests the Diamondbacks as one potential trade partner who could be intrigued by Rice, and its not hard to see why. Arizona traded first baseman away just last night, and while is a viable first base and DH option in his own right that would nonethele s open up playing time for Rice in the short-term. Sherman also adds that the Snakes would like to bring in catching help thanks to the recent injury history of primary backstop . The 25-year-old is a Gold Glove winner behind the plate with consistently above average offense, but has appeared in just 150 games since the start of the 2024 season due to hand, adductor, and thumb injuries. That could make Arizona an excellent fit for Rice, if he were to be dealt. Should the Diamondbacks be intrigued by the po sibility that he could contribute behind the plate, they could utilize Rice on an occasional basis at the position down the stretch this year and head into the offseason better informed about whether he can stick as a catcher. Even if Rice didnt pan out as a catcher in Arizona, they already have a hole to fill in their first base and DH mix that Rice could slide into seamle sly. That would allow Rice to serve as a long-term replacement for Naylor (who was himself a short-term replacement for longtime first baseman this past winter) even if he doesnt work out as a catcher. Of course, this is all largely speculative. The Diamondbacks are known to be this summer, and their roster is already extremely left-handed with Smith, , , and all batting from the left side to say nothing of switch-hitters and . If the Snakes were to add a hitter, they might prefer one who bats righty. Thats an especially noteworthy consideration given that , , and are all right-handed bats who have been discu sed as potential trade candidates. Of that trio, only Gurriel is controlled beyond 2025. Darrell Armstrong Jersey