Yankees: 3 players NYY need to ditch before All-Star break

Um, Yankees? It’s … it’s getting late early out here. You … you might want to optimize your roster soon, or trade for a lefty bat or something. Just … just thinking out loud.

But seriously, though, how is there still so much dead weight on this team? How is every game still identical?

Looking to watch the Yankees today? Let me give you a little spoiler alert. They’re either going to win 3-2 or lose 6-3. They’re going to strand between eight and 11 men on base, and they’re going to get either one or zero hits with runners in scoring position. If the pitching is able to turn a few miraculous double plays or catch a runner leading off third on a bunt attempt, they’ll win. If not, they’ll lose in frustrating fashion.

They will never win in a blowout. They will never impress you. They will never show more consistency in a positive column, but they will always consistently do the above things we’ve mentioned.

Some pieces in the lineup cannot and won’t change until the season has ended, at the very least. Gleyber Torres is a real problem in the present and future, but suffice to say he won’t be meddled with before the deadline (except, perhaps, for a phantom IL stint). That’s why it’s imperative to make the following extremely possible changes as soon as possible.

Only one of these players is a real part of the Yankees’ future, but … it’s not working right now, so he, too, should take some time to re-acclimate to the game at Triple-A. It is what it is, but we’re running out of time.

3. Rougned Odor

See, here’s the thing with Rougned Odor, and why it was odd to see the Yankees take a chance on him and alter their lineup construction in the middle of April: he’s signed through 2022. There’s another year of Odor attached to all this.

Has anything you’ve seen from him thus far made you believe he’s a viable lefty bench bat/rotating starter on a championship contender? Will another year change your mind there? Unless the Yankees DFA the free-swinging 27-year-old with a penchant for clutch hits until, you know … not so much in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s extremely important game, he’ll be holding down a roster spot in a pivotal 2022 season, too.

There are enough key spots on the Yankees roster providing next to nothing. Why do they also feel the need to occupy a bench spot with someone providing a 78 OPS+ when there are more than a few intriguing possible options languishing (and occasionally learning new positions) at Triple-A.

Hoy Jun Park playing center field to increase his versatility Tuesday night was extremely interesting, but none of it matters until the team pulls the plug on the Odor experiment.

Again, maybe this season’s lost. It’s possible. But if he makes it to Opening Day 2022, that’ll be downright tough to justify. Make the move now.

1. Clint Frazier

No two Clint Frazier stances have looked the same this season. That seems bad.

Unfortunately, Frazier hasn’t performed whatsoever this year, despite a few massively clutch hits that were supposed to turn his season around. What happened after his walk-off against the Rays that provided brief sustenance? What about after his game-winning double in Buffalo last week? Not much of anything. On the year, Frazier is tied for the third-lowest fWAR of any hitter to appear in a Major League Baseball game this year.

It’s the end of June. That’s enough.

Frazier’s trade value is at its lowest point … ever at the moment, and it’s possible the Yankees still seek out that avenue to remove him from the roster. However, after all that’s gone into the mentorship and the moments, is New York really going to just surrender him to the wolves? Is the Andrew Miller trade really about to be [traded for James Paxton], [cut and ended up closing games for the Rays], [traded for the Reds’ 22nd-best prospect] and Ben Heller? That’s frustrating, to say the least.

Whatever happens, Frazier can’t have free rein to bog down a righty-heavy lineup with — again, not exaggerating — the third-worst offensive performance any near-full-timer has given to their team this season. A demotion in favor of Park or Trey Amburgey, both of whom would then occupy an empty 40-man spot, seems possible. Could Frazier be part of a trade package for Adam Frazier or Starling Marte?

We’re sorry it’s come to this, but someone fungible has to be the fall guy for this team-wide inability to score runs.

Yankees: 3 struggling pitchers NYY could bet on at trade deadline

The New York Yankees could do with more production value in the pitching rotation, and why not bet on someone new? It’s your turn, Cashman. Roll the dice.