It's Time For The Yankees To Start Selling
After last night’s game and the recent stretch of baseball that the Yankees have been playing, it’s time to start trading guys. This season isn’t totally dead yet but with what we’ve seen lately, there shouldn’t be a ton of hope that things get turned around. With that being said, it’s time to start trading players away to plan for the future with the slim hope that a change in personnel changes the team chemistry for the better. As much as I thought this lineup would be much better, at 3.71 runs per game, this is the worst offensive team the Yankees have had in over 30 years so it’s time to listen to offers.
The first guy that should be traded is Carlos Beltran. Carlos is in the last year of his contract with no chance that the Yankees pick him up again and a possibility that he just decides to retire at the seasons end, so a chance to win a championship this year would be a big motivator for him. With Beltran showing how much he can produce in the DH spot with A-Rod out for a few weeks, he makes the perfect candidate for a team in contention that could use a DH with the ability to play a game or two a week in the field. Beltran also adds a veteran presence and a history of delivering in the playoffs that could help a team right on the verge of making a run. The key to this move though is moving quickly. At 39 years old and with a history of injuries, an injury or slump could come any day now and totally kill his trade value. We won’t get a ton back in terms of can’t miss prospects but Beltran is taking ABs from guys in AAA that could use the experience.
The next person you look to trade in Tex. Even though his offensive production has been absolute garbage this year, he remains on of the best fielding first basemen in the league. There may not be a fit for him today but as the summer moves along and players get injured someone will need a guy at first that can save runs with his glove. If you pitch it with the idea that a change of scenery would help, there may be a buyer as long as we eat almost all of his salary. The main problem with this move, aside from the hole in his bat, is that Tex has a no trade and has said he won’t waive it in the hopes that the Yankees resign him. To get around this, the Yankees also have to pitch to Mark that he needs a change in scenery. On top of that maybe throw in that there is no chance that he gets resigned here because the job belongs to Greg Bird or even a transitional first basemen, but never Tex again after 2016, and he may just waive that no trade.
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Next is Brett Gardner. I said all off-season that they should have traded him after becoming an All-Star in 2015 but the Yankees held onto him and we are now watching the bottom fall out of his career. Batting a mere .211 so far this season and .209 since last year’s All-Star game, it’s time to cut ties with Brett and move him to a team that can handle his team friendly deal. At only 33, there may be changes that can be made to his swing or approach at the plate to turn things around but it’s clear that isn’t happening in The Bronx. At only $13mil a year, moving this contract wouldn’t be impossible and wouldn’t require us to eat too much of it, so the next 4 game hit streak Brett produces should be his last in pinstripes because Cashman should be on the phone.
I see these 3 guys as the top guys that need to go, that could possibly be traded. Obviously we would love to get out of the Ellsbury deal but no one is taking him right now. It’s the worst contract in baseball so unless he finds a fountain of youth or a Tom Emanski video, we’re probably going to have to eat this one. Chapman is another trade prospect but I would hold onto him for a few weeks to see if other moves can be made that give this team a spark because once Chapman is gone we’re not resigning him. Also if we wait for the right team to need a closer, we could get our biggest return for Chapman.
Those are the realistic trades that could happen in the next few weeks, along with rumors of trading Eovaldi, but I think the upside of his power arm and being under team control keep him here for the rest of the year. On top of that the Cubs are targeting Sonny Gray over Eovaldi.
PS: It’s time to start talking buyout with A-Rod.