Yankees Top Five Priorities at the Trade Deadline

The New York Yankees are expected to be one of the most active clubs at the August 1st trade deadline. Here’s a look at what they need to accomplish.

With less than a week to go until the August 1st trade deadline, it’s still not clear what approach the New York Yankees will take. They have not been able to put together a sustained run back into postseason contention in the past month, but they also haven’t completely imploded.

For most of the year, the 2016 Yankees have existed in the murky space between contender and doormat, buyer and seller. All of the major pieces from last year’s Wild Card team remain in place, they just don’t seem to be clicking in the same way.

A 5.5 game deficit for the second Wild Card spot is far from insurmountable. Of course it could be done. But with seven other American League clubs in roughly the same position as the Yankees in the second half, the odds are greatly stacked against them.

Last season, all GM Brian Cashman did at the trade deadline was to swap two minor league spare parts for disappointing utilityman Dustin Ackley. Yes, he kicked the tires on Craig Kimbrel and David Robertson, but ultimately chose to more or less stand pat.

Will the Yankees take a more dynamic approach at this year’s trade deadline? Whether they choose to buy or sell, they have plenty of interesting options. These should be their top five priorities before August 1st.

Next: Dump the Impending Free Agents

1. Get What They Can for Expiring Contracts

Whether they see themselves as contenders or not, the one player on the Yankees who needs to be moved before August 1st is Aroldis Chapman. The potential haul of young talent the team can net for a half-season of a reliever is one Cashman can’t afford to turn up his nose at if he hopes to continue rebuilding the Yankees.

Chapman fell into their laps for virtually nothing this offseason. If they can land a top 100 type prospect for him at the deadline, it would be a major coup for New York.

Ivan Nova is another player the Yankees should unquestionably be shopping hard before the deadline. They won’t get much for him, but whatever prospect they obtain in return will be better than the nothing they receive when he departs after the season. They have plenty of young starters to take his spot in the rotation. Nova’s just taking up space at this point.

The Yankees have two other expiring contracts in Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira that it would make sense to deal, but it would be understandable if they didn’t.

Teixeira has been awful this season and has no trade protection that he is hesitant to waive. If he turns it around in the second half, he could conceivably carry the offense like he did for long stretches of last season. The upside of keeping him is probably better than anything the Yankees could get in return.

Beltran on the other hand could probably be swapped for a nice prospect. A number of American League clubs could use the DH boost he would provide. Of course, he’s also easily been the Yankees best hitter. Dealing him either means they are resigning themselves to a mediocre offense going forward, or betting heavily on a youngster like Gary Sanchez or Aaron Judge to come up and replace his pop.

Next: Add a Big Bat (or Three)

2. Acquire a Middle-of-the-Order Hitter for 2017 and Beyond

Recently, Yanks Go Yard took a look at how the Yankees 2017 lineup was likely to shake out, and the lack of a proven power bat in the middle of next year’s lineup was really shocking. Teixeira and Beltran are goners after this year, and Alex Rodriguez can no longer be counted on.

A lot of pressure will be on youngsters Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge, and Greg Bird to drive in runs next year. If the Yankees see themselves as contenders next year, they should think about supplementing that group with someone a little bit more proven.

In the past few weeks, Yanks Go Yard has tossed around Wil Myers (here), Kyle Schwarber (here), and Jurickson Profar (here) as the type of young superstar the team should be targeting. New York could package one of their elite relief pitchers with a starter like Michael Pineda or Nathan Eovaldi, or an outfielder like Beltran or Brett Gardner to get Schwarber or Profar.

Myers is much more unlikely since San Diego would presumably want prospects in return. Other, less expensive sluggers who could be available at the deadline include Milwaukee’s Chris Carter, Minnesota’s Byung-ho Park, Chicago’s Jose Abreu, and Oakland’s Danny Valencia. They all come with at least one year of team control and, with the exceptions of Abreu, likely wouldn’t cost more than a solid prospect or two.

Maybe the most intriguing option for the Yankees might be Joey Gallo. For whatever reason, the Rangers seem unwilling to give him an extended look in the big leagues (despite potentially losing Prince Fielder for the rest of the season).

Next: Address the Long-Term Rotation Picture

3. Add One or More Controllable Starting Pitchers

For the past year, one of GM Brian Cashman’s stated top priorities has been acquiring controllable starting pitching depth. Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi, and Michael Pineda all have deals that expire after 2017 (assuming Tanaka exercises his opt-out clause).

Cashman acquired Luis Cessa and Chad Green this winter, but given the club’s lack of pitching talent in the upper-minors, it seems like this is something he still needs to address, either now or this winter.

Drew Pomeranz was probably the best available fit for the Yankees’ short and long term needs. Given the Padres’ interest in Jorge Mateo at last year’s trade deadline, he might have made a nice centerpiece in that deal.

New York is unlikely to be interested in rentals like Oakland’s Rich Hill. They’ve been heavily linked recently to Washington’s Reynaldo Lopez. The Nationals have a number of potential front of the rotation arms including Lucas Giolito and A.J. Cole that could be attractive targets.

The Nationals seem like the frontrunner for Aroldis Chapman at this point. If New York throws in Brett Gardner and another piece, could that be enough to get Giolito?

Tampa Bay has also been shopping the majority of their rotation. The Yankees were specifically connected to Matt Moore at one point. Jake Odorizzi and Chris Archer also appear to be on the table. It’s hard to imagine a blockbuster like that happening within the division, however.

For a team in last place in their division, the Angels have been strangely quiet about selling their veterans. They had a trio of controllable starters to offer the Yankees before it was announced that Nick Tropeano would need TJ surgery (dodged a bullet there!). Matt Shoemaker for Brett Gardner still seems like a nice deal for both sides, although Shoemaker has pitched like an ace the last two months, so the Yankees would probably need to toss in a bit more at this point.

Next: Think of the Children

5. Make a Splash!

The best thing that general manager Brian Cashman could do at the August 1st trade deadline is make a move that gets fans excited about their team again, whether it’s this year or next. The franchise has been playing the waiting game since the Core Four retired.

Ownership wants to get some of their big contracts off the books and get under the luxury tax before making any big moves, but they don’t have to spend a ton of money to shake things up. They just have to act boldly and creatively. When’s the last time Cashman pulled the trigger on a big blockbuster with another club?

Another Ackley trade or even a Kimbrel deal isn’t going to cut it. The Yankees have been one of the most boring organizations in the league for over a year now, and that needs to end. That could mean swinging a trade for a big name superstar, or packaging their own veteran assets for a blue chip exciting top prospect.

Obviously this is easier said than done. Cashman has a plan for the Yankees and has been steadfast in sticking to it. That’s certainly better than emptying the farm system for rentals every summer like they used to do. But the fact remains that New York is very likely to miss the playoffs for the third time in four years in 2016.

Next: Projecting the 2017 New York Yankees Lineup

If the club was clearly rebuilding, it would be much more excusable, but this is one of the league’s oldest teams every year. It’s time to for the Yankees to take action, not just sit on the fence once again.