Yankees need to absolutely stop giving away prospects to Red Sox after Carlos Narvaez

When Carlos Narvaez was a member of the New York Yankees, he seemed to be a potentially sturdy backstop without any real defining characteristics. Could he hit? Possibly. Possibly just enough. But would he ever make an offensive impact, let alone be beloved? Based on what we saw, that seemed unlikely.

Of course, that's before Boston got their hands on him. The Red Sox haven't just turned a fleet of former Yankees into useful players over the past half-decade; they've somehow turned each one into a folk hero with distinctive traits. In New York, they were anonymous cogs in a machine. In Boston, their personas have carried their breakouts. It's deeply odd, and any Yankees management group worth their salt would prevent the flow of talent before it starts.

At the bare minimum, they need to stop actively facilitating it.

Narvaez was dealt from the Yankees' surplus this offseason in exchange for flamethrowing pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz; now he's apparently Jason Varitek. Richard Fitts was, of course, dealt in exchange for (shudders, why) Alex Verdugo. Garrett Whitlock was swiped in the Rule 5 and swiftly extended.

This isn't even about whether or not Rodriguez-Cruz is good. He seems good. He might be exceptional. But, at some point, the Yankees have to stop opening their door and letting viable big-league contributors head to their chief rival. They must find other ways to take swings on what they perceive to be upgrades.

It's not just that they aren't preventing it, like in the case of Whitlock or, in ways beyond their control, Rob Refsnyder. It's that they're actively participating in their own downfall. Side note: When's the last time the Yankees did the opposite and stole young talent from Boston? Was it one or two generations ago? Wade Boggs and Johnny Damon don't count. Is the answer "Waite Hoyt"?

Yankees continue to give away talent to Boston Red Sox (Carlos Narvaez), and it's a weird problem

Narvaez might be a sturdy career backup whose early splash looks stronger than it really is because the Boston braggadocio ecosystem is undefeated in being obnoxious (he's hitting .210 with a .634 OPS and I have no idea why the Varitek thing has caught on, other than Boston fans love it when I want to hit my head against a plank). Rodriguez-Cruz might be the real deal.

But ... but ... this is irrationality talking, but can't we mine other farm systems for talent, rather than risk losing yet another young-for-young deal? Narvaez, Whitlock, and Fitts all look like future members of the Boston core. The unpreventable pain of seeing Refsnyder thrive in his ninth stop is one thing. The onslaught of familiar faces — an onslaught we caused with a combination of negligence and ill-fated intentionality — is quite another.

Make Narvaez your last attempt to "pull one over" on Boston, or match strength for strength in a mutually beneficial deal. Remember that they don't want that. They crave your downfall. So stop helping them.