Yankees Rumors: No prospects off limits in trade talks

According to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post, no Yankees prospect is considered untouchable as the July 31 trade deadline approaches.

Trading highly regarded prospects for proven veterans or breakouts players is always a gamble. Much like in 2016 when the Cubs sent a package headlined by their top prospect Gleyber Torres to the Yankees for Aroldis Chapman — if you ask Chicagoans today, whether or not it was a smart move, they’ll give you an emphatic yes!

While Torres has made two consecutive All-Star teams in his first two big league seasons — not to mention, Chapman returned to the Yanks that offseason as a free agent, winning a World Series, let alone the first one in 108 seasons made handing over Torres a necessary evil.

Now the Yankees haven’t waited nearly as long to hang another banner, but following the Derek Jeter years, which resulted in five championships, Yankee fans expect to be in it to win it every October.

With a slew of youngish players still on their original club controlled contracts, it won’t be long until arbitration prices increase, and highly expensive free-agent decisions must be made.

Therefore, the window to win always has an expiration date. And while the Bombers’ remains to be seen, 10 years could be general manager Brian Cashman’s breaking point for title No. 28.

As reported by Ken Davidoff of the New York Post:

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"While the Yankees certainly wouldn’t give up Garcia for a rental like Giants legendary lefty Madison Bumgarner, a high-end pitcher with more team control — the Tigers’ Matthew Boyd? Cleveland’s Trevor Bauer? The Mets’ Noah Syndergaard? — could land the Dominican right-hander in return. Omar Minaya, special assistant to Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, watched Garcia’s game Monday."

Speaking of Garcia’s first start at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the youngest player at that level of the minor leagues (20), pitched five innings of three-run ball while walking one and striking out six.

As for the Yanks top overall prospect, outfielder Estevan Florial — he’s yet to find himself at the plate since returning from a fractured wrist sustained towards the end of Spring Training.

Florial, 21, is struggling at High-A Tampa, slashing .229/.282/.359 with 18 runs, five doubles, four homers, 17 RBIs and a 49:10 K:BB ratio across 142 plate appearances.

The only Yankee prospect to make most preseason top 100 lists, Davidoff writes that Florial could be moved “in the right deal.”

What “right” means, probably lends itself to a club controlled pitcher for at least two seasons.

However, it wouldn’t surprise me if Cashman eventually throws caution to the wind and sends a player like Florial to San Francisco for Madison Bumgarner because of the Yanks’ glut of outfielders.

Naturally, acquiring Trevor Bauer from the Indians would be more in line with Cashman’s recent rhetoric, but dealing both Florial, Garcia or even Clint Frazier had better end up with a World Series title — otherwise, they’ll be much unrest in the Bronx.