3 Yankees players whose 40-man roster spots are in jeopardy at MLB trade deadline

Franchy Cordero

Did you know Franchy Cordero was still in the Yankees' system? Did you know that, while the team was circling through Allen and Billy McKinney, they still had the man who socked four early homers at their disposal and repeatedly said, "Nope"?

That showed some fortitude, on the Yankees' part. Passing on promoting Cordero, who hasn't had a consistent big-league opportunity since April 28, was unequivocally the right decision. But still. You know how much this team values its 40-man guys. This team stuck with Brooks Kriske for I believe two decades before finally letting him throw wild pitches elsewhere.

Keeping the Yankees' misplaced loyalty in mind, their ability to compartmentalize Cordero and bury him at Scranton indicates he isn't a part of their future plans, and they're merely controlling him as long as they're conveniently able to. When the trade deadline rolls around, he's more than likely gone, despite his -- wait, are you kidding me? -- .343 average and 1.056 OPS at Triple-A.

When you look up "Quad-A" and "Exit Velocity" in the FanGraphs Encyclopedia of MLB Disappointments, Cordero is the most prominently featured picture. Someone else will be tantalized by his skills this summer. Someone else will think they hold the key to unlocking his contact potential. That someone else will be wrong -- unless it's the Rays.