Yankees: Which top prospects are untouchable in trade talks?

Tyler Wade

Wade had his opportunity out of spring training to be the starting second baseman but he struggled mightily and was sent down and replaced by Gleyber Torres. The Yankees had high hopes for Wade out of camp and they still do because of his versatility to play all over the field.

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However, with Torres now up and the logjam of infielders the 25-man roster is about to have there isn’t a place for Wade in the big leagues.

There’s nothing left for him to accomplish at Triple-A but he’s also looked overmatched at the big league level so it’s tough to say what the future holds for Wade in New York.

He’s still a very talented player with great speed and a good glove so he could be attractive to other teams in trade talks. He won’t be the centerpiece of any trade, but he could be added as a second-tier prospect to get a deal done.

Clint Frazier

Like Wade, Frazier also has nothing left to prove in the minor leagues. We know his bat is big league ready but after suffering a concussion in spring training he missed all of camp and most of April. Now he’s back playing at Triple-A but the Yankees don’t have a role for him to fill on the big league roster. They’re not going to call him up just to sit the bench.

Frazier is no longer a “prospect”, but out of all the Yankees young trade pieces, he might be the most sought after around deadline time. He’s still only 23 and showed last year during his time in the big leagues that he has the tools to be a very good player for a long time. His future with the Yankees still might be bright but this season he’ll have a tough time finding any playing time with the big league club unless someone gets hurt.

If the Yanks decide to hold on to him past this year’s deadline he could be the starting left-fielder next year with Brett Gardner likely to leave in free agency. If not he’ll be one of the main trade chips they use to acquire a front-line starter in July.

Tyler Austin

Austin is another young Yankee who’s future with the team is tough to predict. He got off to a great start this season splitting time with Neil Walker at first base in the absence of Greg Bird, but with Bird close to returning from injury he could be the odd man out. Austin still has options left and Walker is heating up of late so it doesn’t seem like he’s still in danger of being cut.

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It’s a tough situation because Austin has shown a powerful bat (especially against lefties) during his time with the Yanks, but long-term he might be better off playing on a team where he could get consistent at-bats. In any potential trade, he would be more of a second-tier piece like Wade, but he’s definitely someone who should garner some interest in the coming months.