Yankees Sell, Become Future Winners of the 2016 Trade Season

The New York Yankees traded their best commodities to the playoff-contending Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers. The white flag is officially flying high in the Bronx, yet it feels like a long-awaited victory.

The Yankees first grabbed headlines on July 25, when they robbed the Cubs of No.1 prospect Gleyber Torres in exchange for a half-season of Aroldis Chapman. General manager Brian Cashman publicly decreed it not to be a surrendering move, and factoring in Chapman’s impending free agency and New York’s bullpen depth, the industry viewed the trade to make business sense.

The truth serum wouldn’t be swallowed until owner Hal Steinbrenner attended his team’s embarrassing sweep at Tropicana Field against the last-place Tampa Rays over the weekend. Those three losses knocked the Yankees back down to .500. Before they could travel to their Subway Series with the crosstown Mets, Andrew Miller, Carlos Beltran and Ivan Nova were boarding separate flights out of New York.

Miller was the initiating domino of a trio of Yankees traded within two days. Cleveland will be graced by his services throughout the ’18 season at $9M per year. In return, 21-year-old outfielder Clint Frazier — who some scouts believe resembles the next Mike Trout — now tops the Yankees’ rejuvenated system, according to MLB.com’s Prospect Watch list.

Gleyber Torres slots second, while Jorge Mateo (previously No. 1) holds the bronze medal in third place. Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez move to fourth and fifth, respectively, but both are nearing their graduation to the majors.

Trading Miller was a bullet to the chest for fans and organizational personnel alike. But flipping him for future assets, which required Hal’s blessing, was the most productive commitment the Yankees have made for their on-the-fly rebuild.

The hauls brought in by Chapman, Miller and Beltran added five Top 20 talents to the Yankees system. They now have seven in baseball’s Top 100, putting the system within front-runner consideration.

Overall, the Yankees subtracted four players from their 25-man roster; added two (Adam Warren and Tyler Clippard); traded away one minor leaguer (Vicente Campos); and acquired 12 total prospects (including two PTBNL in the Nova trade).

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Cashman is receiving tremendous praise for his first deadline as a seller, all made possible with a green light from ownership.

The next challenge faced by the front office is determining the roles of Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira. Neither of the aging, once-dynamic duo hold significance to a rebuilding team. The Yankees will soon be tempted to reallocate their roster spots to deserving farmhands currently being blocked, much like the long-term byproduct of the Beltran trade gives entrance for Judge in right field.

With Greg Bird rehabbing from shoulder surgery until 2017, the Yankees would be wise to get a glimpse of Tyler Austin at first base. Austin has dominated at Double-A and Triple-A this year, crushing a combined .287/.391/.523 and needs one more home run and seven more RBIs to surpass his personal records set in one season (17 HRs, 80 RBIs in ’12).

Rodriguez has regressed into a platoon-DH that isn’t hitting and rarely gets any chances to. His presence clutters the roster and is preventing the Yankees from calling up Sanchez. With A-Rod out of the equation, Brian McCann could shift into primary DH duties while Sanchez becomes the everyday catcher with an opportunity to flourish under McCann’s mentoring.

Think of it this way: if the Yankees find at-bats in a non-contending year for their core youngsters, they won’t endure the learning curve as much when they re-calibrate and aim for the postseason.

Next: Yankees Trade Carlos Beltran to the Rangers

Teixeira and Rodriguez are the fallout of the Yankees’ current situation. They won’t be dealt with immediately, but their time in New York is running short. For now, the Yankees must contend with developing their talent to create an “uber team,” as Cashman would call it. Help isn’t as far away as you think, fans. With Judge, C. Frazier and Sanchez nearly ready to join Luis Severino and Didi Gregorius, this could be the fastest rebuild baseball has ever seen.