Athletics interested in Yankees prospect Estevan Florial

Now that we know the Athletics are prioritizing center field in a potential Sonny Gray trade, the Yankees could base a deal around 19-year-old Estevan Florial.

A week after trading Blake Rutherford to the White Sox, could the Yankees deal yet another highly touted outfield prospect, this time to the Oakland A’s for Sonny Gray? Well, it’s possible if A’s general manager Billy Beane gets his way.

According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, Estevan Florial is on a list of potential targets should Beane finally bid adieu to his 27-year-old ace.

Florial, who recently became the Yanks’ No. 5 overall prospect (91st in all of baseball) is having himself quite the season at Low-A Charleston. In 86 games, Florial has compiled a .293/.372/.485 slash line, 11 home runs, 40 RBI, 16 stolen bases and 61 runs scored.

The biggest issue with Florial to-date is the fact that he’s prone to the almighty strikeout. In 324 at-bats this season he’s struck out 118 times. While Florial does have 40 walks, a 30 percent swing and miss ratio is scary-high, especially for a player that isn’t projected to hit more than 15 homers in a big league season.

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The other reason the Yankees could potentially trade the Haitian-born speedster is the fact that outfielders are a current position of depth for the organization. With the impending return of Aaron Hicks, and rookie sensation Clint Frazier excelling at the big league level, team execs will need to decide who sits, and if sending Frazier down to Triple-A does more harm than good.

Should Florial be dealt, the Yankees still have a glut of top outfielders, including the suddenly resurgent Jorge Mateo (No. 8 prospect) — as he’s been splitting time between center field and shortstop at Double-A Trenton, in addition to Dustin Fowler (No. 4 prospect), who recently told team officials that doctors expect a full recovery following the horrific leg injury he suffered last month in Chicago.

Throw in No. 24 prospect Jake Cave and No. 28 prospect Billy McKinney, both of whom are currently holding their own down on the farm, and it’s clear to see that although Florial may possess the most upside of his peers, at 19, he’s still a long ways away from making an impact at the major league level — especially until Jacoby Ellsbury and the remaining $65 million on his contract is flushed away.

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It’s not everyday that a pitcher with Gray’s pedigree comes on the market. So if the Yankees have the opportunity to acquire such a player, one who is club controlled for the next two years and has the 10th highest roundball rate in MLB this season — which should equate to success at the Stadium, I say the time is right to consummate this deal.