Yanks Go Yard
FanSided

7 moves the Yankees must make after embarrassing playoff exit

By Thomas Carannante

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 12: General Manager of the New York Yankees Brian Cashman is seen in the dugout prior to the game against the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium on August 12, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 12: General Manager of the New York Yankees Brian Cashman is seen in the dugout prior to the game against the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium on August 12, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 7
Next
Josh Staumont #63 of the Kansas City Royals (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Josh Staumont #63 of the Kansas City Royals (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

4. Explore Trades for Brad Hand, Whit Merrifield and Josh Staumont

The Yankees should also be aggressive in trading for players.

Trading for players is just as imperative as trading away players. So who should general manager Brian Cashman target? The answer is right under his nose.

Call up the Cleveland Indians, who are likely going to make a lot of changes this offseason and see if they’re willing to trade closer Brad Hand, who has a $10 million team option for 2021. If the Tribe are going to sell guys like Francisco Lindor, there’s a high probability someone like Hand will follow. That’ll add another high-leverage lefty to the Yankees’ bullpen in the wake of Chapman’s potential departure. Plus, there’s no guarantee Hendriks and Treinen will be signed, so every other option needs to be considered.

The “go for the gold” trade, however, would be calling up the Kansas City Royals and inquiring about reliever Josh Staumont and the do-it-all Whit Merrifield. This potential trade would likely mean Clint Frazier will no longer be a Yankee, but the front office has made it clear where they stand on him after screwing with his status on the big league roster for years, and then not letting him get the proper playing time in the postseason in 2020.

Adding Staumont would give the Yankees long-term bullpen security (he’s under team control for quite a while) and Merrifield would give Boone even more flexibility on defense and in the lineup. Merrifield hits for average, steals bases and can play all over the infield and outfield. The Bombers need another guy who can do something other than hit home runs, and given their injury troubles for the past four seasons, they need another stud who can fill in anywhere on the field.

This deal won’t be cheap (Frazier plus another MLB talent and another prospect?), but it’ll undoubtedly save the Yankees from a lot of problems in 2021 and beyond. If they’re going to make trades, these are the players to target and pay a premium for.

Home/Yankees News