Yankees: 7 Prospects New York Can Afford to Trade in Blockbuster Deals

If a trade is on the table, the Yankees front office should live with moving these prospects.

With the start of the MLB season inching closer, it’s already time to think about what moves the New York Yankees could make to bolster their roster.

With a loaded farm system, New York certainly possesses the assets to make a splash in the coming months at the trade deadline. Whether that be for another arm in the rotation, a handful of relievers to further strengthen the bullpen, or a bat to provide even more pop to an unmatched lineup, there are plentiful options.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Yankees farm is that many of their top prospects still enjoying their teenage years. These players are far too young to move on from just yet, including “The Martian” Jasson Dominguez — who has been compared to Mike Trout and Mickey Mantle — as well as Kevin Alcantara.

Aside from the uber-talented teenagers, nearly every other Yankee prospect should be at the very least considered in trade talks if it means capturing a World Series in 2020 or 2021.

With a shortened season, there’s no telling what the trade deadline could look like come Aug. 31, but if general manager Brian Cashman is looking to put New York’s roster over the top, these prospects should be involved in the talks.

7. Estevan Florial

The Yankees can ship out a top outfield prospect if a team comes calling.

For years, Estevan Florial has been frequently mentioned as one of the premier talents in the Yankees farm system. Unfortunately, Florial has tumbled down prospect rankings due to injury concerns.

For the past two seasons, right wrist injuries have limited the 22-year-old. However, he’s still very young and has already proven to be a fantastic fielder with a cannon arm.

At the plate, Florial’s biggest flaw is his strikeout rate. In 301 plate appearances, he struck out 98 times (32.6%). The power is there and if he improves his approach at the plate, he could be big-league ready in a season or two.

While Florial may not be viewed by general managers around the league as a centerpiece, he’s definitely a good complement, especially if he proves himself if he happens to get playing time with the Yanks in 2020.

Although Brett Gardner’s career is winding down, the Yankees have their outfield set for the long-term. Aaron Hicks is signed a seven-year deal in 2019; Aaron Judge is the supposed face of the franchise; and Clint Frazier and Mike Tauchman are under club control for quite a while.

Losing the top outfield prospect in the organization likely won’t hurt New York at this time.

5. Luis Gil

The Yankees could look to upgrade their MLB rotation by trading some top pitching prospects.

One of the most electric arms in the Yankees system, Luis Gil excelled in Single-A/High-A ball last season. He landed on New York’s 40-man roster and projects to be a power arm in the near future. While it’s still unclear if he can hold down a role in the rotation, his stuff should translate to the bullpen at the very least.

Gil’s mid-to-high 90s fastball and power breaking ball are impressive. Last season he combined to post a 2.72 ERA in 20 starts, striking out an impressive 123 batters in 96 innings.

In a year or two, Gil could be a weapon in what is a veteran-heavy Yankees bullpen. However, New York boasts plenty of power arms in their system, so don’t be surprised if rival execs ask about the young right-hander.

4. Albert Abreu

Albert Abreu entered the 2020 season on the cusp of the big league roster. Sent over to New York as a part of the Brian McCann trade in 2016, Abreu spent all of 2020 with the Trenton Thunder and is on the 40-man roster.

But he managed a subpar 4.28 ERA in 20 starts, striking out 91 in 96.2 innings. On top of that, Abreu’s concerns revolve around his health. He has had problems toeing the rubber every five days making him a questionable option as a starter in the future. Like Gil, Abreu displays bullpen-quality pitches.

The 24-year-old’s time as a prospect will be winding down. If he cannot break through to the Major League roster this season, he certainly could land a role on a team looking for a controllable arm.

3. Luis Medina

Believe it or not, Luis Medina topped 100 MPH at just 16 years old. However, his arm talent has yet to translate into success on the mound. Through four seasons in New York’s minor league system, his ERA sits at 5.51. Although his 217 strikeouts through 183.0 innings are quite impressive, his 144 walks are concerning.

Clearly, Medina has a ton of work to do in the control department. The Yankees do have him protected on the 40-man roster, but he likely has a year or two before he will get a serious look at the big leagues.

If Medina is able to harness his pitches and gain control, he may become a star, but the Yankees shouldn’t be banking on that, especially if including him in a trade package will help them land talent to chase a ring.

2. Clarke Schmidt

Clarke Schmidt and Deivi Garcia could help the Yankees land a star.

Alongside Deivi Garcia, Clarke Schmidt is likely to contribute to the big league squad in some capacity during the 60-game season. According to reports, Schmidt appeared MLB-ready back in March.

If some in the organization are that high on Schmidt, there’s no doubt other teams are looking at him very closely. His impressive college performance and three-pitch repertoire are enticing aspects of the young righty’s game.

Schmidt currently sits at No. 2 on MLB.com’s ranking of the top Yankees prospects. He’s fresh off his first full season of minor league ball. In High-A ball, he made 12 starts, posting a 3.84 ERA in 63.1 innings to go along with 69 strikeouts.

He finished the season with a trio of impressive starts in Double-A Trenton. In a normal campaign, Schmidt could have been an easy candidate for September call-ups, but a packed schedule could see him land a spot start or a long relief role if needed.

With both Masahiro Tanaka and James Paxton set to hit free agency, New York may opt to keep some of their more MLB-ready arms around to fill the potential void. Still, Schmidt seems to be on track to be a successful starter in the bigs and could be a centerpiece in a blockbuster trade.

1. Deivi Garcia

Garcia is on the cusp of the big league roster and is in a very similar situation to Schmidt. He steamrolled through the Yankees’ minor league system, beginning in High-A and ending the year in Triple-A. Although his numbers faltered in Scranton Wilkes-Barre (5.40 ERA, 20 BB, 40 IP), Garcia was impressive for the vast majority of the season.

The downside here, as previously mentioned, is that New York would lack in-house options to replace Tanaka and Paxton if Garcia is dealt.

Still, on the surface, it looked like New York was certainly showcasing Garcia as the trade deadline approached last year. Although the Yankees were unable to land a big-time arm in 2019, a more experienced Garcia would be a huge haul for a team looking to rebuild its farm system.

It would certainly hurt to see Garcia moved after hearing so much hype about him a year ago, but if a superstar player becomes available, Garcia’s lack of major league — let alone upper-tier minor league — experience still makes him a question mark on a team ready to win now.