Yankees Trade Rumors: Who should they keep and who is trade bait?

The first player on this list is Clint Frazier. Frazier, a 24-year old outfielder has been involved in trade rumors almost immediately since being drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the first round of the 2013 MLB Draft.

Since being acquired by the Yankees at the 2016 Trade Deadline, Frazier has had an up and down career. Due to the injuries of outfielders Aaron Hicks, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Jacoby Ellsbury, Frazier was recalled from Triple-A just a few games into the 2019 campaign. Since being recalled, Frazier has shown for the first time his true potential to be a consistent, power-hitting corner outfielder at the big-league level.

In 39 games this season, Frazier is slugging .525 with 10 home runs and 28 RBI. Though his defense leaves much to be desired, Frazier is clearly capable of making a huge impact for a stretch with his bat. With that being said, he’s an attractive trade chip to any club considering selling at the Deadline with the potential to be the centerpiece in a blockbuster trade that would net the Yankees an ace-type starting pitcher.

Although Hicks is healthy and Judge and Stanton are on the mend, Frazier should still have a spot on this 2019 team. The fact that the Yankees’ top three outfielders all went down with injuries within a four-week span shows the importance of a contending team to cultivate and hang on to depth.

Verdict: Keep