3 Yankees who’ve boosted their trade value this spring

2. Anthony Seigler

We wouldn’t blame you if you forgot all about Anthony Seigler, the 21-year-old catcher the Yankees selected in the first round out of high school back in 2018.

Since that day, we’ve only seen Seigler play 30 games above rookie ball; he batted .175 at Charleston in 2019, then missed the remainder of the year with a patella fracture after already being limited by a series of nicks and bruises.

Not great!

All it took was reappearing this spring to raise Seigler’s profile a bit from the absolute doldrums, but he’s managed to get into two games in recent days and battled impressively both times. His first appearance of March was an extended at-bat in Clearwater in which he worked a walk; overall, he’s 1-for-2, and will likely get more run with the minor leaguers in the final two weeks.

Seigler is firmly on the trade block right now, considering the Yankees certainly prefer their 2020 first-rounder Austin Wells, an advanced college bat who currently resides behind the plate. They’ve also used catcher Josh Breaux more often, who was selected behind Seigler in the second round in 2018.

The best ability for Seigler is availability, and two strong at-bats have started his spring comeback to relevance.

1. Chris Gittens

Ah, Hard Hittin’ Chris Gittens.

The owner of perhaps the hardest exit velocity of any non-Giancarlo Stanton Yankee this spring, Gittens is a 27-year-old first base/DH type who has consistently displayed his massive power at every minor-league stop and registered an impressive OBP in the process (.393 with 23 bombs in his most recent full season at Double-A Trenton in 2019.

Perhaps more importantly, when Gittens hits the ball, he destroys it.

At this point, he’s unfortunately been relegated to spring training legend status; without a 40-man spot, the Yankees won’t be going to Gittens in a pinch this year, and he doesn’t really have a clear path to establishing himself as a power bat on this all-powerful team.

Perhaps no one has boosted his profile more, though, proving time and again that his bat-to-ball skills are no fluke, putting his immense power on display during even routine outs. There’s no doubt that, in the exit velocity era, Gittens is now getting his somewhat proper due every time he appears on stage during a Yankees spring training game.

He seems completely lovable, and brings a skill set that’ll play in the bandbox in the Bronx. Without any discernible room, though, power-hungry bottom feeders like the Seattle Mariners (who are always down to clown) should take notice.

Or what about the Oakland A’s, a team that fetishizes both cheap talent and Gittens’ exact package?

Say what you will about the first baseman’s path to MLB relevance, but he’s relished every opportunity thus far in 2021.

Yankees: 3 players on hot seat in spring training so far

The New York Yankees roster features a few veterans who are on the absolute hottest of seats at 2021 MLB spring training. Tyler Wade, eyes open.