The Obvious Trade the Yankees and Orioles Need to Make

It's true that it's often difficult to complete a trade within the same division in Major League Baseball.

However, that didn't stop the New York Yankees from negotiating with the Baltimore Orioles to acquire catcher Adley Rutschman at the last trade deadline. Rutschman ultimately ended up with another division rival, the Boston Red Sox, indicating that Baltimore has no qualms about trading within the American League East.

And that could very well be the case again this winter. Indeed, as we mentioned this week, the O's have made everyone available on the trade market, with the exception of Pete Alonso. And the Yankees need to jump at the opportunity.

The fact is, the Maryland team has a surplus at third base, with Coby Mayo, Blaze Alexander, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Jordan Westburg all vying for the starting spot. And it's Westburg whom the Yankees should target to address one of their biggest weaknesses since Ryan McMahon hasn't been getting the job done on the offensive side of the ball.

Admittedly, Westburg comes with his share of risks, but he could also pay off big. The 27-year-old has been hampered by injuries throughout his young career, playing just 107 games in 2024 and 85 in 2025. He also missed the entire 2026 season due to Tommy John surgery.

But when healthy, Westburg is a major asset both offensively and defensively, having hit 18 home runs in 2024 and 17 in 2025, and posting an OPS of .792 and .770 in those respective seasons.

In return, the Yankees could part with Jasson Dominguez, among others, which would address one of the two areas the Orioles are looking to improve: the outfield and the starting rotation. A change of scenery could do wonders for the young prospect, who hasn't had the career start he was expected to have but possesses enormous potential.

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