George Springer's name just landed on the Yankees' radar, and the connection carries some real complicated history if it ever actually happens.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports the Yankees are in the market for a right-handed-hitting outfielder after injuries to Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton, with Springer on their shortlist.
Toronto sits at 48-58, 10 games below .500 and expected to be full sellers by the August 3 deadline, making Springer one of the biggest available names regardless of who's calling.
Springer is hitting .233 with 11 home runs across 75 games this season, in the final year of his six-year contract before hitting free agency.
His postseason résumé remains the real selling point here, exactly the kind of big-moment experience any contender wants walking into October.
But this particular deal wouldn't come easily. Springer holds 10-and-5 rights, meaning he'd have to approve any trade himself before it could happen.
That's where the complicated history comes in. Springer has been booed at Yankee Stadium for years over the 2017 Astros sign-stealing scandal, and he's spent his last six seasons with one of New York's biggest rivals.
Why history makes this connection unlikely either way
Toronto and New York have rarely made trades with each other despite sharing a division, with the last deadline deal coming eight years ago when the Blue Jays sent J.A. Happ to New York for Brandon Drury and Billy McKinney.
Springer's willingness to waive his no-trade protection for a fan base that's booed him for years remains a genuine open question.
The Yankees aren't the only suitor either. Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown said adding an outfield bat is the organization's top priority at the deadline, a connection that would actually reunite Springer with his former club.
It's a bit like an ex getting multiple job offers from companies with very different histories, one a rival he's clashed with, the other the place he started his career.
Would Springer actually approve a trade to the Yankees given his history there, or does a reunion in Houston make far more emotional sense if he's willing to leave Toronto at all?
Whatever happens, Springer's approval is the real deciding factor here, regardless of how much interest either franchise shows over the next week.
Would you want to see George Springer traded to the Yankees before the deadline?
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