Yankees Trade Rumors: Justin Upton, Starting Pitcher Could Still Go To New York After Ichiro Suzuki Acquisition

It didn't take long for the Yankees to replace Brett Gardner after the outfielder officially was lost for the season.

New York acquired Ichiro Suzuki from Seattle on Monday. The Yankees sent the Mariners minor league pitchers D.J. Mitchell and Danny Farquhar in exchange. The trade was mostly a salary dump for Seattle, who is in the cellar of the American League West.

Ichiro will split time in left field with Andruw Jones and Raul Ibanez. While Jones and Ibanez have performed admirably for the Yankees, Ichiro gives them a different dimension. His game is built off of speed and good defense, unlike New York's current outfielders.

There has been much speculation about what moves the Yankees might make before the trade deadline, but this deal doesn't mean New York is done. The veteran certainly has a chance to help the Bronx Bombers, but his impact will likely be minimal.

While he was one of the best hitters in his prime, Ichiro is no longer the player he once was. He took the league by storm in 2001, winning the AL MVP in his rookie season. He batted over .300 for each of his first 10 years.

However, the 38-year-old's numbers have dipped dramatically of late. Before being sent to New York, Ichiro hit .261 with just four homers and 15 stolen bases in 95 games.

The man who holds the record for the most hits in a single season is having one of the worst seasons by an individual player in 2012. His .640 OPS is 142nd out of 155 MLB players that qualify for the batting title.

Some people believe that Ichiro will be rejuvenated with the Yankees. Perhaps his lackluster performance can be attributed to playing for one of the worst teams in the majors.

Still, New York realizes that they did not acquire the Ichiro of 10 years ago. If the Yankees plan on making a big move by the trade deadline, they'll have to pull the trigger on another deal.

The trade for Ichiro might not stop the Yankees from possibly acquiring an outfielder like Justin Upton. Ichiro is in the final year of his contract and should have no bearing on moves New York could make for the future.

Even after the trade, the Yankees will still likely have an open spot in the outfield in 2013. Nick Swisher is a free agent at the end of the year.

If the Yankees could still acquire another hitter after trading for Ichiro, the deal probably won't affect their pursuit of a pitcher either. The team still has question marks in the rotation and could go after another starter.

Pitchers Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster have been rumored to be possible acquisitions for the Yankees.