Should the Yankees Trade a Pitcher Before Opening Day?

Last week on Forbes.com, Josh Benjamin wrote a piece advising the Yankees to trade one of their pitchers prior to the start of the 2016 regular season.

In the article, Benjamin listed relievers Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller as two of the better options for the Bronx Bombers to ship off before they take the field for the first time in 2016.

Benjamin said Betances is “the better-looking trade chip.”

"“He’ll only be 28 by the time the new season begins and has proven to be a dominant reliever out of the bullpen the past two years, posting a 1.44 ERA and 266 strikeouts in 174 innings to go with 10 saves,” Benjamin said. “This young man has had ‘Yankees Closer of the Future’ written all over him since becoming a dominant setup man in 2014, and his being a year away from arbitration makes him all the more attractive a prospect to deal in hopes of landing some top talent.“"

Trading Miller, Benjamin said, would also be beneficial for the Yankees.

"“Now that it’s assumed that he and Betances will be the setup men, Cashman would be wise to try moving him and his salary,” Benjamin said. “He has $27 million remaining on his deal and if he were to be moved for some top-level prospects tomorrow, for example, the Yankees’ pre-arbitration payroll would suddenly be a much more manageable $163.6 million.“"

While Benjamin made a strong argument for trading Betances or Miller, I think the Yankees would be wise to keep both of them in pinstripes for the 2016 campaign.

Last season, the power-pitching combination of Betances and Miller was a major reason the Yankees were able to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2012. If the Yankees had a lead late in the game, it was safe to say that Betances and Miller would be able to shut down the opposition and put the finishing touches on another Yankees victory.

With the addition of Aroldis Chapman, another hard-throwing reliever, the back end of the Yankees bullpen now looks like an opposing hitter’s worst nightmare.

Joe Girardi already announced that Chapman will go into Spring Training as the team’s closer, leaving the seventh and eighth inning responsibilities to Betances and Miller.

By adding Chapman to an already loaded bullpen, the Yankees have done something that sets them apart from every other team in baseball: They are the only team with three proven closers they could turn to late in games.

The ability to shorten games will be the biggest benefit the Yankees receive from Betances, Miller and Chapman coming out of the bullpen. There is no doubt their presence will take a ton of pressure off of the Yankees starting rotation. Knowing they won’t have to necessarily pitch into the seventh and eighth innings of games to earn a win will allow Yankees starters to be more confident, realizing one mistake won’t cost their team a victory.

The Yankees are extremely fortunate to be in the position they are in with their bullpen situation. Keeping Betances, Miller and Chapman together for years to come is what the Yankees should be focused on, not breaking them up.

Trading Betances or Miller may make financial sense. It could also help the Yankees land a high-priced free agent down the road. But, shouldn’t fans of the Bronx Bombers be excited to see what these guys are capable of accomplishing together first?

Watching Betances, Miller and Chapman pitch next season is going to be must-see TV night in and night out. Without question, this trio will be one of the driving forces for the Yankees in their quest for a 28th World Series title.