Yankees' trade with Red Sox did more than just land them a top pitching prospect

On Wednesday night as much of the Winter Meetings fanfare died down with more and more executives, agents and players departing Dallas, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox apparently lingered to strike a trade.

The two sides agreed to a deal that sent Red Sox No. 13 pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and international bonus pool money to New York in exchange for catcher Carlos Narváez, who has long been considered a future roster casualty due to the presence of Austin Wells and Jose Trevino.

The Yankees, before the trade, had five catchers on the 40-man roster, whereas the Red Sox just parted with top prospect Kyle Teel in the Garrett Crochet trade, which diminished their depth behind the dish.

A fair trade! Would you look at that! But there are perhaps further implications once we find out more details about the international bonus pool money.

The Yankees, as mentioned by Brian Cashman at the Winter Meetings, will be involved in the pursuit of Japanese star Roki Sasaki this offseason. The right-hander is expected to sign after Jan. 15, when the new international signing period begins. So now, the questions of how much bonus money and will it apply to the new signing period are what need to be figured out. Appearing on the YES Network Hot Stove Show, Jack Curry echoed that this seems to be a play for Sasaki.

Yankees News: Trade with Red Sox could have Roki Sasaki implications

Those details have yet to be disclosed, but it's worth wondering if that's what the front office is gearing up for. Sasaki is subject to restrictions in terms of what he can earn due to his status (he was posted too early to become an unrestricted international free agent), but the Yankees would want to make sure they can offer the most possible money under the rules if they're to compete with at least 10 other teams.

In the process, the Yankees squeezed a former top prospect off the Red Sox's roster. Boston designated Enmanuel Valdez for assignment, who was acquired years back from the Astros in the Christian Vazquez trade. Valdez had high hopes and was viewed as the more promising prospect in that deal, but Wilyer Abreu quickly surpassed him and the Sox opted to move on after another poor season.

As for the Yankees, they're reportedly in on Cody Bellinger, Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, among others, but the market is still waiting to materialize. The Winter Meetings featured decent action, but a lot of the top names remained unsigned, and many of the top trade targets have yet to get moved.

Expect a lot more action over the next couple weeks, and we'll provide updates on the Sasaki details/chase as they become available.