Yankees could trade Luke Weaver in shocking move at trade deadline

The New York Yankees struggled recently, but they still do not figure to be sellers. However, the injury to Aaron Judge could lead to them making some shocking moves.

As it stands right now, the Yankees have just a one-game lead in the wild card race. If they continue to play poorly, they could fall out of the postseason race. There are rumors that the Yankees could be listening to offers on their soon-to-be free agent relievers, and FanSided's Thomas Carannante suggested that Luke Weaver could be a surprise trade candidate.

"The Yankees are rumored to be willing to listen on relievers on expiring deals," wrote Carannante. "Weaver, who has seen a considerable drop-off from last year, is one of those arms. And if the Yankees aren't contending, there's no need for them to hold onto their back-end bullpen options. They obviously don't want to tear it all down, and Weaver still remains a hopeful extension candidate, but the Yankees could get value for him now, make do the rest of the way, and look to re-sign him in the offseason if this all materialized."

Weaver has a 3.18 ERA this season and has dealt with some inconsistency. If the Yankees feel they will turn things around and dominate like they did early in the season, then trading Weaver would not make much sense.

However, if they think there's a chance that Judge's injury, paired with their recent play, will push them out of being legitimate World Series contenders, then Weaver could be a solid trade chip.

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He will be a free agent after the season, but it would be a shock if the Yankees trade him. Trading Weaver does not necessarily mean the Yankees do not think they can contend. In fact, Weaver could be traded in an aggressive move to address a different need on the roster.

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