The New York Yankees are on a freaking roll! They are near the top of the AL East, but if you are being real, while everything seems great, second base is a bit of a head-scratcher. DJ LeMahieu has not looked like his old self, and Oswald Peraza still feels more like a long-term project than an everyday solution. Plus, now with Jazz Chisholm Jr. the front runner to take over third base, the pressure to fill second base is real. And this is where a Tampa Bay Rays infielder comes into the grand scheme of things.

That’s when the name Brandon Lowe started echoing through the city. The Rays’ $24 million second baseman, a lefty with real power, suddenly found himself at the center of trade talk. And now, even ESPN’s Jeff Passan has weighed in, saying that Lowe makes perfect sense.

“Lowe’s career numbers at Yankee Stadium are admittedly abysmal. But his left-handed stroke and the short porch in right field feel like a match made in heaven,” wrote Passan. Fair point: he is in the 86th percentile for average exit velocity, which means he hits the ball hard. That’s the kind of profile that can thrive in the Bronx. Plus, on paper, it makes even more sense, since Lowe is a lefty bat with power—something the Yankee Stadium tends to reward. This season, he has posted a .242 average with 11 homers and a 108 wRC+. These are not just eye-watering stats, but useful in the bottom half of the order. But that being said, there are a few red flags.

Firstly, he hasn’t played a single inning at third base this year. He has been locked in at second, and if LeMahieu or Peraza are still in the picture or if Chisholm comes, things get crowded. Also, let’s not gloss over the fact that Lowe has hit just .175 in 39 career games in the Yankee Stadium. Plus, there’s money to consider, given Lowe turns 31 years old in July, and comes with a $11.5 million club option for 2026. Sure, not a huge number, but not nothing either—for a guy whose defensive flexibility is still not trending up.

The bottom line is whether the Rays decide to sell, given they are still somewhat in contention, and it’s unheard of for the Rays to sell off veterans. It also depends on whether the Yankees want more from the left side—if so, then Lowe might get the call. But Yanks do have other options!

Yankees might find their second base fix in Atlanta

At first, you might think Lowe is the Yankees’ best option in the trade market. But dig deeper, and there is another name quietly entering the conversation, and it’s one with some serious financial upside—Ozzie Albies. Now, at one point, he and Ronald Acuna Jr. felt like a duo set to rule Atlanta for years to come. Acuna, of course, was a flash, but Albies was the engine; small stature, but he packed a serious punch. In 2023, for example, he posted a 4.1 fWAR and looked every bit the Braves’ second baseman of the future.

But now, the picture is a lot different. Injuries have plagued Albies, and his bat hasn’t kept up. Last season, he played just 99 games with 10 home runs. This year, it’s looking even tougher, and his stat line of .234/.305/.351 and six homers says that. Even defensively, he has slipped a little. Now, given the Yankees are juggling options, and with Albies on the Braves’ possible radar for trade, New York may make a move.

This is because Albies is in the final year of a team-friendly contract and has two club options for 2026 and 2027 at just $7 million each. For the Yankees, it’s a low-risk and high-reward position. If Albies just plays average balls, the price is a steal. Plus, Atlanta has a rich farm system and also Nacho Alvarez Jr. waiting, so trading Albies could be very much fine for them.

So, who do you think the Yankees are getting? Let us know.