MLB Rumors: Yankees Need To Cough Up Ridiculously High Package To Land Athletics All-Star

The Oakland Athletics are ready to discuss a potential trade with any MLB team for Matt Olson, but it will unsurprisingly come at a price.

The MLB team singled out as the one to give chase is the New York Yankees. However, they would need to put together a lucrative package to land the All-Star first baseman as teams rush to seal deals before the league’s collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1.

According to Jon Heyman of the MLB Network, the Athletics are “shooting for the moon” in trade talks involving the 27-year-old player.

Olson is seen as Oakland’s biggest trade chip this offseason and is likely to take advantage to pull down their payroll in the winter.

The Yankees have been making inquiries on the availability of Olson who holds a projected $12 million contract with the A’s, CBS Sports reported.

In a previous report, no formal talks between the Athletics and the Yankees have started according to analyst Jack Curry.

The interest of the Yankees in Olson is hardly surprising. The two-time Golden Gloves winner is one of the best left-handed sluggers in the American League.

Last season, Olson had 39 home runs, drove in 111 runs, and scored 101 while producing a .911 OPS and 5.8 bWAR, SI.com noted.

Adding him to a rotation that already includes Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton would undoubtedly give New York a daunting mix.

But to make that a reality, the Yankees will have to figure out what kind of package would capture the Athletics’ attention.

One possibility is seeing New York part with one of their top three prospects-Anthony Volpe, Jasson Dominguez and Oswald Peraza.

Of the three suggested names, Volpe and Peraza would make sense. Both play at shortstop and parting with one of them for Olson would make the deal feasible.

Peraza may be ranked below Volpe, but he is still a high-upside asset that reached Triple-A in 2021.

But knowing they do not necessarily need to unload Olson, the Athletics may want more assets from the Yankees.

New York does have other targets in mind aside from Olson. One of them is Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds, someone Yankees general manager Brian Cashman admitted they are also actively monitoring.

However, the Pirates are also seeking an astronomical package in return for the 26-year-old outfielder, Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reported.