Yankees Should Remain Sellers Despite Hot Streak

The New York Yankees have played very good ball coming out of the All-Star break. Despite this hot streak, the Yankees need to capitalize on their assets and sell at the trade deadline.

On July 25th, the Yankees beat the Houston Astros 2-1, and for the first time this season, were three games over .500. That doesn’t exactly scream contender status.

To be a legitimate title contender, you need to have played well enough all season to be considered a top team in the league. The Yankees, who have went 8-2 in their last 10 games, do in fact look like a contender right now. Have they looked like one all season? Of course they haven’t.

It was always finally getting to the .500 mark, then proceeding to go two games under. It was always getting a fantastic pitching performance, and having no offense to show for it. The consensus around baseball was that this team is the definition of inconsistency. Don’t let this hot streak against contenders fool you, the Yankees are simply not built for a deep playoff run, let alone a playoff appearance at all.

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Brian Cashman got it right when he traded Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs, after waiting for Hal to finally sign off for it. Cashman knew Chapman’s value would be much greater on a team that had a legitimate need for an elite closer, so he pounced when he got the Cubs’ #1 prospect in return. Trading off Chapman obviously didn’t mean that the team would become automatic sellers. What it did mean, however, is that they saw the enormous return they could cash in on.

It may seem odd for a team that is 8-2 in their last 10 games to sell, but really, why would the Yankees buy? For a team that is trying to get younger and hold on to their assets, acquiring a middle of the lineup bat like Jay Bruce or Charlie Blackmon would cost 1-2 top prospects. I’m all about trying to acquire young, controllable starting pitching, but to do so, the Yankees aren’t going to want to deal the likes of Aaron Judge or Gary Sanchez for a top young arm.  

If the Yankees continue on in sell-mode, Andrew Miller is the piece that will net them the greatest return for the now and the future. At this point, the Washington Nationals and Cleveland Indians look like the frontrunners to acquire Miller, should he become available. It is almost certain that if Miller were to be dealt to the Nationals or Indians, Lucas Giolito or Clint Frazier, top 30 prospects, would be part of it.

The market for relievers has skyrocketed, as evident by the Aroldis Chapman deal, and Brian Cashman would be foolish not to cash in on Miller’s elite-arm in a pitching starved market. These are elite, franchise-altering prospects we’re talking about here, and if the Yankees stay stuck thinking they’re contenders, their future could be drastically altered.

A team like the Yankees, with so many holes and inconsistencies, will find it hard to be sellers come August 1st. But, it is pretty obvious that this current squad is not assembled for a playoff run, and they’d be lucky to capture the second Wild Card. It’d be in their best interest to sell of any assets that could bring back something of value.

Next: Yankees Face Decision With Tanaka

It might be an unusual time to be a Yankees fan, where a rebuilding phase might actually become a reality.

It’ll be a necessary step towards greatness, something that was once a constant in New York.