3 trade packages that can help Yankees land Jose Ramirez

All we keep hearing is that the New York Yankees’ organizational depth in the farm system is among the best in the league. It’s what helped them get Joey Gallo without having to surrender anything close to their most notable assets.

They have an embarrassment of riches, it seems, at shortstop, catcher and pitcher. It’s why so many have speculated they’re the perfect trade partner for the Oakland Athletics in any deal for Matt Olson or Matt Chapman. General manager Brian Cashman can deal from his many surpluses and still maintain the top talent.

But perhaps there’s been one potential trade candidate that’s been overlooked this offseason. He’s been discussed in years past, especially before the 2021 season when his teammate Francisco Lindor was traded to the New York Mets, but for whatever reason the buzz has subsided.

What about Jose Ramirez? The Cleveland Guardians star is an MVP talent stuck on a team that’s nowhere close to contending and he can only be controlled for two more seasons (he has a team option for 2023 that will undoubtedly be picked up).

Ramirez’s fit with the Yankees is almost tailor made, too. He can play second base and third base to help with the infield versatility. He’s a lefty slugger that can hit for average and power. He hardly ever strikes out and he steals a ton of bases. Most importantly, however, is that he’s almost always healthy (he’s missed just 70 games since the start of 2016).

So what would it take for the Yankees to convince the Guardians to make a move here? Cleveland certainly doesn’t want their top asset to continue depreciating as his club control wanes, so perhaps Cashman can entice the AL Central club to sell high and expedite their rebuild with some of the league’s best prospects.

3 trade packages that can help the Yankees land Jose Ramirez.

3. Jasson Dominguez-led Deal

Let’s be honest: if the Yankees are going to do this, it’s going to cost around five players. There’s no way two cost-effective years of control for one of the best players in the game will be any less than that.

That said, it depends what the Guardians want. So we’re going to vary these packages appropriately to see if any might be of interest. Let’s start with Jasson Dominguez, since Cleveland has had unthinkable trouble finding good outfielders over the last five years.

Though Dominguez’s value “dipped” because he didn’t hit 100 homers with 25 stolen bases in his first 20 games of professional action, he’s still viewed as a potential franchise cornerstone player and has the tools to rise in the minor league ranks fast. There’s no denying his raw talent and that’s what teams may look to acquire when they possess an asset like Ramirez.

So what if the Yankees offered something like this:

• No. 2 prospect Jasson Dominguez
• No. 7 prospect Trey Sweeney
• No. 9 prospect Ken Waldichuk
• No. 10 prospect Yoendrys Gomez
• No. 18 prospect Josh Breaux

That’s an outfielder, a shortstop, two pitchers and a catcher, with the latter three having years of professional experience. All of them still possess high upside. And for the Yankees, they still have the outfield, shortstop, catching and pitching depth to absorb these losses.

Dominguez was a top international signing, Sweeney was a first-round pick, Waldichuk has dramatically surpassed expectations as a fifth-rounder, and Breaux was a second-rounder. The only downside here is Gomez underwent Tommy John surgery in August, but it’s not like the Guardians are turning this ship around in a year. This plan will take a few seasons to come into focus.

2. Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Medina, Austin Wells and Everson Pereira

The Guardians know pitching talent when they see it, so perhaps Cashman can go in that direction and offer some of his best young options in a deal for Ramirez. The recent Cleveland teams that made deep playoff runs featured dominant rotations and bullpens.

And again, the Yankees should have no issue parting with this much talent at a single position, especially if they can keep Waldichuk, Gomez, Randy Vasquez and others. Perhaps this pitching-heavy package might entice the Guardians as they enter a new era:

• No. 4 prospect Luis Gil
• No. 5 prospect Clarke Schmidt
• No. 6 prospect Austin Wells
• No. 8 prospect Luis Medina
• No. 13 prospect Everson Pereira

The world has already seen what Gil is capable of at the MLB level after he made history in his first few outings when debuting in 2021. It’s believed Wells’ bat will make him a fast riser, and his dominant showing in the Arizona Fall League a few months ago further proves that. Medina has some control issues, but his “stuff” is electric for a 22-year-old. Pereira is just 20 years old and tore the cover off the ball (20 homers and 57 RBI in 49 games) in his first season above Low-A. Schmidt, despite missing most of last year and not being properly utilized in 2020, is still an asset regardless of his output. He has major league velocity and movement. It’d just be another situation of Cleveland honing his abilities and making him as effective as possible.

A lot of potential value here for the Guardians and it’s the kind they clearly desire based on what their rosters have looked like since 2013.