Yankees Predicted to Land All-Star Slugger to Spark Offense

The New York Yankees weren't able to break the long World Series title drought this past season, with the team falling short again.

New York was eliminated in the American League Division Series, being swept out by the rival Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees didn't put up much of an effort against the Rays, showing a real problem entering the offseason.

To the credit of the Yankees, slugger Aaron Judge wasn't on the playoff roster due to injury, but the team still should have performed better. Judge missed a large portion of the year due to injury, with the Yankees offense struggling.

As the team moves into the offseason, adding more offense should be a priority for this team. With Judge getting older and others on the club showing some inconsistency, the front office has to make sure to add this winter.

New York has been linked with a lot of players already, with star Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers being a common name. However, there is another player on the Rangers who could make more sense for the Yankees to consider.

MLB analyst Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report predicted that the Yankees would land All-Star Josh Jung from the Rangers in a trade this offseason. Jung could be a more realistic option for the team, especially given the large contract that Seager still has on the books.

But Jung had a solid 2026 season, with the slugger hitting .299 with 12 home runs and 42 RBIs, while posting an OPS of .827 over 104 games played. Jung could provide a nice spark to the Yankees offense, and this team desperately needs something like this.

New York could shore up the third base position with a move like this, with Jung taking over for next season. But the big worry with Jung is his defense, and his 2026 season was a little concerning.

This year, Jung posted a minus-12 defensive runs saved and minus-3 outs above average at third for the Rangers. The Yankees could be wary of making a deal for Jung due to this, but the team also may value what he brings to the offensive side of things.

While there are real concerns with the defense of Jung, the Yankees should still try to land the former All-Star from the Rangers if he is available. New York could work with Jung on his defense, but his bat could be a valuable asset to have going forward.