New York Yankees Are The Favorites to Land Mike Trout

While everyone seems to believe that the New York Yankees are the odds on favorite to land Bryce Harper via free-agency and make him the next face of their franchise, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe insists there might be an alternative plan.

And that alternative plan is the best player on the planet, Mr. Mike Trout.

The Yankees staple for success has alway revolved around the center of the diamond approach, which includes a power-hitting center fielder with gold glove caliber defense and a championship pedigree in his blood.

The ‘Yankee Clipper’ Joe DiMaggio.  The ‘Commerce Comet’ Mickey Mantle. ‘Burn Baby Burn’ Bernie Williams.

But might the ‘Millville Meteor’ Mike Trout become the next great center fielder in Yankees history?

With constant speculation about Trout’s future with Billy Eppler’s Los Angeles Angels, everyone around the baseball world is wondering whether or not the franchise cornerstone will be dealt at some point in the not-so-distant future.

To be honest, I would be 110% shocked if a player of Trout’s caliber would ever be dealt, but if the Angels continue to struggle and their farm system continues to lack future assets to build a contender around Trout, Eppler might just be forced to trade his star player for a package that would change the blueprint of the Angels forever.

On Sunday Nick Cafardo took to his column in the Boston Globe to list the top 10 trade destinations if Eppler was to shock the world and part ways with Trout.

Number one on his list was none other than the New York Yankees.

"Eppler has a history with Brian Cashman, serving as New York’s scouting director and assistant GM. The Yankees also shed the contracts of Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira after this season and CC Sabathia and Alex Rodriguez next year. But Cashman doesn’t want to give up his young players, and certainly any package would have to include pitcher Luis Severino, outfielder Aaron Judge, shortstop Jorge Mateo, or reliever Dellin Betances."

The rest of Cafardo’s list includes your typical  high-payroll franchises, including the Boston Red Sox at two, Los Angeles Dodgers at three and so on, but I have to admit that seeing the Yankees ranked one is overwhelming to say the least – especially by a Massachusetts based newspaper.

Billy Eppler and his relationship with Brian Cashman aside, the Yankees certainly have the pieces to complete such a deal. Their unwillingness to trade key prospects for rental players over the past two-to-three years has allowed them to develop one of the deeper farm system in all of baseball.

Add in their expiring contracts coming off the books and it makes a potential deal seem even more likely.

Given Severino and his early struggles in 2016 (0-6, 7.46 ERA) and the potential of keeping Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman should the Yankees part ways with Dellin Betances, a package of Severino, Betances and top prospects Aaron Judge and Jorge Mateo actually might be worth the addition of Mike Trout.

Sure this is all just speculation, but can you imagine Mike Trout in pinstripes?

What do you think Yankees fans? Let us know in the comments below.