Could The New York Yankees Lure Miguel Cabrera Away From Detroit?

With the offseason closely approaching, it’s very possible that the Yankees will inquire on some of the Detroit Tigers star players that are rumored to be available.

Following another playoff-less season for the Detroit Tigers, they now feel like the team they are currently putting on the field is not capable of winning anymore. They are entering the offseason ready to listen to any and all offers for all of the members of their roster, no one is safe, not even Miguel Cabrera. While it seems like a long-shot, adding Miggy to the Yankees is an incredibly fun idea.

According to Buster Olney of ESPN (subscription required), “… The message being received from the rest of the industry is a dramatic shift for one of baseball’s oldest franchises: They will listen to trade offers on everybody,” Olney said. “Miguel Cabrera. Justin Verlander. Ian Kinsler. Anybody.”

This could be the time the Yankees could capitalize and get themselves a proven middle of the order bat. Cabrera is one of the greatest hitters of our generation and it looks as if he is getting better as the years go by rather than depleting. Placing a hitter like him in Yankee Stadium could only mean an increase in production for the big right-handed hitter.

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But of course, every team in major league baseball will be inquiring about the slugging first baseman, so what makes the Yankees any different? The farm system.

According to Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, the New York Yankees have the best farm system in all of baseball which includes seven tier one prospects. This is something the Tigers are desperately craving, sitting at a disappointing number 25 on the list. New York has an outstanding amount of depth in the minor leagues that they could be able to part with if it meant having an impact player like Miguel Cabrera under contract with a long-term deal.

The Yankees would most likely have to part with a number of their top young players, but for an impact bat like Miguel Cabrera it would totally be worth it. In 2016, he hit .316/.393/.563 with 38 home runs and 108 RBI’s, the stats could go even more up if he would play the DH role and only have to focus solely on his hitting and not have to play the field.

With Tyler Austin and Greg Bird ready to play first base in 2017,  DH would most likely be the place for “Miggy” if he did come to New York.

Cabrera’s massive $240 million contract could prove a major obstacle for the Yankees, as principal owner Hal Steinbrenner has stood firm on his desire to get under the luxury tax in the next two years. That would be virtually impossible to do if New York took on Cabrera’s $30 million annual salary.

If ownership did give Brian Cashman the green light to make a move of this magnitude, it could change the current direction that the franchise is on. They will turn to a win-now mode rather than relying on rookies and prospects to produce years down the line. The Yankees would be going from a team missing a star player in the lineup that can drive in runs, to adding an 11-time All-Star who has not hit below .300 since 2008 where he hit .292.

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The bottom line from this is that the Yankees could most definitely lure Miguel Cabrera away from the Tigers because they have the top farm system in all of baseball and have exactly what Detroit is looking for. The big question, as it has been all too often lately, is money. Would ownership be willing to shell out all that cash?