Can the Yankees avoid the missteps of the Red Sox and Mariners?

Time to Pitch In

The most significant move and gamble was trading Lester in mid-season for Cespedes. When the season ended, they flipped Yoenis and a few mid-level prospects for RHP Rick Porcello.

They signed both 3B Pablo Sandoval and SS Hanley Ramirez, and cut more of the robustness out of their system, by trading a few more mid-level prospects for LHP Wade Miley.

But they did not ignore their farm system. They won the bidding war for 2B Yoan Moncada, and he immediately became a top ten prospect, eventually landing at number one.

The 2015 season showed even more promise. Four of the five players who got the most AB’s were 28 or younger, as were eight of the top thirteen. The pitching staff suddenly featured two 22-year old starters (Owens and lefty Eduardo Rodriguez), while only Buchholz was over 28.

When the season was over, the Red Sox stood in the same spot the Mariners had in 2013, ready for their run. So they traded another four prospects for elite closer Craig Kimbrel and signed top-ten pitcher David Price.

When a team picks up a player like Price, they are ready to challenge for titles.