Yankees: 5 players who could be traded this offseason

IF Thairo Estrada or Tyler Wade

Trading Wade or Estrada would be an example of how a roster crunch could force the Yankees to trade a player that they are very high on. Both players are currently on the 40-man roster but neither one has a clear track to earn consistent playing time at the big league level next season or in the years that follow. Even if Didi Gregorius walks as a free agent the Yanks will still be bringing back the rest of their starting infield from the postseason along with Luke Voit and Miguel Andujar.

That doesn’t bode well for Estrada or Wade who are both big league caliber players that have nothing more to accomplish at the Triple-A level. If the Yankees make a trade this offseason to improve their starting rotation or bullpen either one of these guys would be an intriguing addition to a potential package because of their skill sets.

Wade hasn’t hit much yet at the big league level in limited at-bats since 2017, but he showed signs of improvement in September. He’s also the fastest player on the 40-man roster, an elite defender at second, third and shortstop and has the potential to be one in left field as well.

The 23-year-old Estrada showed good bat to ball skills earlier this season at the plate and sneaky pop for someone his size with 3 HR and 12 RBI in just 64 at-bats. He wasn’t as impressive as Wade was when the Yanks tried him out in the outfield but he also plays above-average defense at second base and shortstop and has good speed.

Choosing who to trade between the two would be a tough choice for the Yankees to make but if I was an opposing club I’d ask for Estrada first because I think he has more upside offensively. His .250 BA this season only gave him a slight edge over Wade’s .245 clip, but he never really looked overmatched like Wade has a lot at times and I think he has a real shot to be an everyday player someday. Unfortunately, I just don’t think he’ll ever get that opportunity with the Yankees.