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

Next up is the 23-year old middle-infielder Thairo Estrada who was sent down following Thursday night’s game to make room on the roster for the returning Didi Gregorius. By no means were the Yankees planning on having Estrada be on the 25-man roster in May of 2019, but nevertheless, Estrada has become an intricate player in the piecemeal roster that has categorized the first third of the Yankees season. Estrada has been touted as a top prospect for years now, and he’s shown why in limited time with the big club this season.

More from Yanks Go Yard

• Should Yankees toss short-term extension at Harrison Bader before 2023?
• Yankees chose worst possible player to ring in New Year on 2023 team calendar
• Yankees State of the Farm System Review: Josh Breaux
• Yankees make upside play, sign former Rangers top prospect outfielder
• MLB insider claims favorite emerging in Bryan Reynolds rumors (not Yankees)

In 50 at-bats this season, Estrada is hitting .280 with three home runs and three doubles. Besides his stellar offensive output, albeit a small sample size, Estrada’s defense up the middle at both second and third is more than good enough to become an everyday player in the coming years.

Middle infielders with offensive output are hard to come by and harder to successfully develop, so it is easy to assume that many teams will request Estrada in return when the Yankees coming calling for pitching depth this summer.

It would be foolish to assume that the Yankees will be open to trading Estrada just because they have the likes of Miguel Andujar, D.J. LeMahieu, Didi Gregorius, Gleyber Torres, and even Troy Tulowitzki manning infield spots now or in the near future. The only way I could see the Yankees dealing Estrada this July is if a team thinks extremely highly of Estrada and Cashman is able to maximize Estrada’s value in a trade for a high-end pitcher.

Verdict: Keep