Top prospect Yankees gave away for nothing might be tilting the AL Wild Card race

If you loved Brian Cashman's patented "nothing for nothing" Yankees trades, then you're going to despise his new varietal, the deeply uncomfortable "something for less than nothing" deal. One particular Cashman transaction this offseason might be tilting the American League Wild Card race below the surface, and the immediate results say plenty about how the prospects involved in the deal have been handled and appraised.

Earlier this winter, the Yankees saw a possibility arise when the Dodgers agreed to sign Shohei Ohtani for I believe $20 (with $900,000,000 deferred in bitcoin). While any team would bend over backwards to have Ohtani, the Dodgers had committed to the slugger/ace with an overflowing roster, and needed to clear 40-man spots. Yankees to the rescue! New York took on infield prospect Jorbit Vivas and lefty reliever Victor González in exchange for ... wait a second, Trey Sweeney? The first-round pick? The bat-first shortstop whose development had already taken him to Double-A in two full seasons? Clearly, they must've really loved Vivas, and were banking on González being a stable contributor.

Wellllllllll ... González had one defining moment in pinstripes (his hilarious defensive play to close out an exhale-inducing win over the Rays), but was DFA'd in June, ending up back in Triple-A after clearing waivers. He has a 4.50 ERA with a 1.73 WHIP in the minors this year. Ope, and he was just released! The Yankees, desperate for a viable left-hander, prefer Tim Mayza (and gave Caleb Ferguson away, never forget). Vivas? The lefty swinger with the Rougned Odor persona fractured his orbital bone this spring, and was promoted to MLB for one single series in Baltimore, which he spent glued to the bench. He has a .709 OPS at Triple-A, and will likely compete with Caleb Durbin for the Yankees' second base job next spring.

Sweeney? He ... has had a run this year, going from Los Angeles to Detroit in the Jack Flaherty trade (ironically allowing LA to outbid the Yankees). He then went almost directly into the starting lineup, and has homered thrice this week, helping the Tigers surge forward unexpectedly.

Yankees first-round pick Trey Sweeney is thriving with Tigers

It took a while for the 24-year-old Sweeney to get ignited, and yes, he still has an unsightly .270 OBP, but he's not there to take walks. He's in the bigs to mash right now, and his sweet stroke has helped facilitate the Tigers' sprint into the postseason picture. He's also provided stability at shortstop for a team that's been employing Javy Baez for three years.

At the moment, the Tigers have wedged themselves in between the Red Sox/Mariners and Minnesota Twins, who are 8-17 over their last 25 games and now only lead Detroit by 2.5 games in the Wild Card standings. Players like Sweeney, Parker Meadows, Colt Keith and Jace Jung have all arrived right on time for a team fueled in part by Clay Holmes' ninth-inning collapse at the Little League Classic, and in part by a wayward offseason Brian Cashman deal.

How 'bout that? Whatever keeps Boston at bay, though, right?