Yankees Brian Cashman might trade away a blue-chip prospect today

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Addition by Subtraction

By sending Jordy down and bringing Enns or Adams up, the Yankees prepare to win in October this year and beyond.

Number one, they would limit Montgomery’s innings; they have to do that anyway. That helps him be both rested and stronger, and better able to pitch later in the season, perhaps in the playoffs. Plus, he has already shown he can handle the majors, which leads to…

…number two, they need to find out if Adams can be close to the pitcher he has shown at every step of the minors. Injuries and poor performance cannot be absorbed as easily in September. When they come, the Yankees will need arms they can trust.

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They cannot find out about Adams or Enns in September if they don’t try them in July or August.

It’s simple: If Adams could replace Pineda, the team is as strong as it was in the first half. It is up to the players to replicate their performances and earn the postseason. Adding Gray now and sending Montgomery down creates the kind of depth and options that might make for a deep playoff run.

But it only makes sense if the Yankees replace Pineda internally.

Allow a New Power to Rise in the Galaxy

Because, if Adams (or Enns) can pitch to a sub-four ERA, somewhere in the middle of good Pineda and bad Pineda, the team should be able to ride the troika of Severino-Gray-Adams to at least the Wild Card Game if not the division.

And when Girardi wants to go to a six man rotation in September so that CC and Tanaka get extra rest, Jordan will be a trusted arm waiting to return.

September then becomes a competition for who will start in the playoffs, making the playoffs more likely. And, in the worst case scenario, the team enters next year with at least four young pitchers who are down-the-stretch, battle tested New York Yankees.

That’s how you prepare to win this year and beyond.

Adding Gray to the rotation while blocking Adams keeps the Yankees depth thin, which is the problem right now. At best, it gives the team a little more hope that it makes the playoffs this year. And it makes getting to the playoffs in the next few years a lot harder.

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So, no, the Yankees should not trade Rutherford, Florial, or any other top prospect. If that makes the 2017 World Series farther away, so be it. We might still get another Dodgers-Yankees World Series soon. Just not this year.

We still need to see what these players can become. And they are under control for a lot longer than 2019. The team might be ready to win now, but the organization is not.

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