{"id":13124,"date":"2025-11-18T04:03:32","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T04:03:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/yankees-and-red-sox-linked-to-trade-for-phillies-bryce-harper-with-ben-rice-a-potential-trade-chip-for-nyy-sporting-news\/"},"modified":"2025-11-18T04:03:32","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T04:03:32","slug":"yankees-and-red-sox-linked-to-trade-for-phillies-bryce-harper-with-ben-rice-a-potential-trade-chip-for-nyy-sporting-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/?p=13124","title":{"rendered":"Yankees and Red Sox linked to trade for Phillies\u2019 Bryce Harper, with Ben Rice a potential trade chip for NYY | Sporting News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Yankees<\/p>\n

Andrew Hughes<\/p>\n

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox were both linked to a trade for Philadelphia Phillies first baseman\/designated hitter Bryce Harper in the event the Toronto Blue Jays win the Kyle Tucker free agent sweepstakes.<\/p>\n

FanSided\u2019s Jake Elman believes the Yankees could be in play by offering first 1B\/DH Ben Rice, while the Red Sox could offer the farm after likely losing third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough Harper\u2019s outfield days are likely permanently behind him, that shouldn\u2019t stop the Yankees from calling Dombrowski and the Phillies. The Yankees are unlikely to bring veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt back for 2026, and Giancarlo Stanton\u2019s presence means that the Yankees can\u2019t make Silver Slugger finalist Ben Rice a full-time DH \u2014 assuming, of course, that the oft-injured Stanton stays healthy,\u201d Elman prefaced before saying, \u201c(Clint Frazier) suggested in October that the Yankees make Rice the centerpiece of a potential Harper trade.<\/p>\n

\u201cHarper has a no-trade clause in his contract, though there are obvious, undisputable benefits of being traded to the Yankees. For all of their flaws and postseason issues, the Yankees have built a loaded roster and have spent decades proving that they\u2019ll do whatever it takes to win championships. The budget doesn\u2019t always lead to results, with the Yankees only owning a single pennant since their 2009 World Series win, but Harper wouldn\u2019t join a borderline playoff team or one looking to break a lengthy postseason drought.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s also not rule out the Boston Red Sox just yet, considering that they need another heavy hitter in their lineup. All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman opted out of his contract, and Boston still must find a long-term solution at first base. Harper won\u2019t come cheap, but we\u2019ve seen the Red Sox take risks under lead baseball executive Craig Breslow; Boston traded four prospects to the Chicago White Sox for ace Garrett Crochet last winter and dealt Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants this past June.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the Blue Jays winning the pennant via a gentleman\u2019s sweep of NYY during the ALDS, there is a revival in interest in the sport up north. Toronto appears keen on investing in its team, with a Tucker signing hammering that point home.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a legitimate arms race in the AL East, and both the Yankees and Red Sox are in dire need of rejuvenating their historic brands. It\u2019s been five years since Boston has made the postseason, but even more embarrassingly, it\u2019s been 17 years since New York has won the World Series.<\/p>\n

Does Harper move the needle like that for either team? Probably not at this point. If anything, landing Harper now, with his injury history and mileage, would be like a slap in the face to those who wanted him in 2019 before he went to Philly.<\/p>\n

For the cost, Harper is a massive risk for the Yankees or Red Sox.<\/p>\n

That risk is amplified in the context of trading for the 33-year-old to get revenge at the Jays.<\/p>\n

Andrew is a freelance journalist based in Auburn, Alabama, who currently serves as the site expert for Fly War Eagle and Glory Colorado. His work has been featured in The Miami Herald, Bleacher Report and Heavy Sports. Andrew graduated from Brooklyn College with a degree in print journalism in 2017 and has been a sports fan since 1993. He has covered the University of Alabama\u2019s pro day and the American Century Championship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Andrew Hughes The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox were both linked to a trade for Philadelphia Phillies first baseman\/designated hitter Bryce Harper in the event the Toronto Blue Jays win…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t