ESPN clearly did no research when tabbing Yankees' 2024 trade deadline candidates

We tried to hold off, but it's not our fault other publications are already looking ahead to the trade deadline, with the New York Yankees being among the focuses, given their early-season injuries as well as the uncertainty surrounding Gerrit Cole.

Problem is ... do the Yankees have much to trade after their offseason dealings for Alex Verdugo and Juan Soto? Technically, they do, but are they going to want to deal from their most valuable group of prospects?

Fans can bet that Jasson Dominguez, Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr. and Brando Mayea are staying put. Those are either the team's most coveted young players or recent investments the front office will want to see pan out.

Otherwise? There's not much to dangle, in all honesty. The Yankees dealt from their depth to land Soto and Verdugo, and now all that remains sits on either side of the spectrum -- untouchable or disposable.

So when ESPN dropped its list of potential trade candidates for every team (subscription required) with three-plus months before the deadline, Yankees fans felt nothing. Everson Pereira and Chase Hampton aren't going to be able to help the 2024 team acquire anything of note.

ESPN's trade candidates for Yankees will net them nothing at the deadline

David Schoenfield tabbed Pereira and Hampton as the likely trade candidates for the Bombers, but didn't really offer much of an explanation, outside of Pereira being behind Dominguez and Jones and Hampton or Will Warren as one of the two pitching casualties.

Problem is, Pereira offers no intrigue to rival teams. He failed in his one-month MLB stint last year, faltered this spring, and isn't off to a great start at Triple-A. As for Hampton ... he's injured! A surprise shoulder injury in the middle of spring training went under-reported and he's yet to make his 2024 debut. The "shoulder discomfort" also turned into a sprained UCL, too, as we learned later on.

Even funnier was the fact Schoenfield then made a monster leap at the end of his blurb, suggesting the Yankees might have to trade Jones if they were to express interest in Miami Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo. If the Yankees didn't trade Jones for Corbin Burnes or Dylan Cease, why would Luzardo and his 7.65 ERA be of any interest to New York? The left-hander has proven to be effective for one full MLB season since debuting in 2019, while Burnes and Cease have far lengthier track records.

All over the place. Come on now. Can't have this.