Yankees: 3 Miguel Andujar trades that make sense

Could the Yankees look to trade Miguel Andujar?

It’s truly baffling how much can change in two years. At this point in 2018, Yankees slugger Miguel Andujar had established himself as one of the best young players in MLB, and came just short of taking home AL Rookie of the Year honors.

Following Wednesday’s doubleheader, however, New York announced that they optioned the 25-year-old to the club’s alternate training site in Scranton amid his recent struggles. The Yankees’ roster is obviously one of the deepest in baseball, and the emergence of Gio Urshela as the starting third baseman has made it extremely difficult for Andujar to break into the lineup.

In five games this season, the Dominican Republic native is batting .071 (1-for-14) with three strikeouts. Without a real position in the field, it seems as though Andujar is trying to do too much at the plate to prove that he’s worthy of an everyday role.

Whatever is causing the young stud’s woes, his demotion was a glaring indicator on where his overall value stands a year after shoulder surgery last year, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the Yankees look to trade him to bolster other areas of need. With this in mind, let’s highlight a few potential packages that could appease New York.

3. Andujar to the Tigers

Could the Yankees deal Miguel Andujar to Detroit?

Though their rebuilding project seems to be proceeding ahead of schedule, the Detroit Tigers are still another two years away from trying to contend, and they could really use a few cornerstone sluggers to build around 2020 No. 1 overall selection Spencer Torkelson

Detroit’s farm system is rich with pitching talent, so the club could afford to part ways with a young hurler. A package comprised of left-hander Joey Wentz — the Tigers’ No. 10 prospect, according to MLB.com — as well as second baseman Kody Clemens (No. 21 overall) should be enough to get a deal done here.

The Yankees farm system, as lauded as it is throughout the league, really lacks left-handed pitching. While adding a young gun like Wentz won’t fix the issue outright, it will go a long way in helping the cause. Who says no?