BREAKING: Yankees Set to Fix Third Base Crisis with Former Orioles Top-10 Prospect in Blockbuster Trade!

The New York Yankees are heading into June on a hot streak, winning five straight games and nine of their last ten. They’re about to face the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium for a three-game interleague series—a rematch of last year’s World Series. Despite holding a comfortable 6½-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East, the Yankees face challenges that could derail their season if left unresolved. One major issue: their unstable third base situation.

Injuries to D.J. LeMahieu and Jazz Chisholm have left the Yankees without a true third baseman all season. Neither LeMahieu nor Chisholm are natural at third base, both primarily second basemen, although manager Aaron Boone plans to have Chisholm take over third after his rehab assignment. Just as Oswaldo Cabrera began to settle into the role, he suffered a severe ankle injury in Seattle earlier this month, ending his season.

Various options have been considered to address the hot corner vacancy, but a recent trade suggestion from Yardbarker’s Jacob Mountz offers the Yankees an affordable and potentially long-term solution. Mountz points to Miami Marlins third baseman Connor Norby, a former top-10 prospect with the Baltimore Orioles. In his 2024 rookie season, Norby posted a .236 batting average with nine home runs in 176 at-bats, showing promising power.

Norby, a 2021 second-round pick out of East Carolina, was a highly regarded prospect who hit .415 with a 1.143 OPS and 15 homers in his final college season. Despite a recent helmet hit from a pitch, he remained in the game.

Previously ranked as a top-100 prospect by Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus, Norby had a strong 2023 season with the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate Norfolk Tides, batting .290 with 21 home runs and an .842 OPS. Instead of promoting him to the majors, the Orioles traded him to the Marlins for left-handed pitcher Trevor Rogers.

Mountz notes the Marlins, currently near the bottom of the NL East, will likely be sellers at the trade deadline. Norby could be a significant upgrade over the Yankees’ current third base options.

This season, Norby has appeared in 35 games for Miami, batting .276 with a .744 OPS and three home runs. Defensively, he has played 263 innings at third base, committing three errors with a slightly below-average defensive runs saved rating. At 24 years old, Norby is in his second MLB season, earning a modest $765,000 salary on a one-year deal. He won’t be eligible for arbitration until 2028 and remains under team control through 2031.