The New York Yankees have been rumored to be all-in on finding a starting pitcher to add to the rotation before the July 31 trade deadline. Options such as Marcus Stroman, Madison Bumgarner, Tyler Bauer, and more have littered the headlines in a potential deal.
The Yankees, however, have sat idly by while the media progresses forward in what already seems to be a “guarantee,” according to Jim Bowden of The Athletic. If a deal is to develop, there should be some ground rules, starting with two prospects that need to be off-limits.
Teams know the Yankees are looking for reinforcements, so they will attempt to extract the most value, which could include players like Clint Frazier, Deivi Garcia, and Estevan Florial.
While some might be willing to talk with Florial included, he’s the Yankees’ top-ranked prospect and has the potential to be the future in the outfield. Injuries have blanketed the optimism and progression he’s experienced, unfortunately. This doesn’t mean his career is over, but a broken wrist certainly doesn’t help in his journey to the big leagues.
Nonetheless, he’s a five-tool player that can not only hit and field but run the bases extremely well and put a game on its heels. Upon his return, he hit .231/.284/.362.645, with four homers and 17 RBIs in 33 games, mostly at center field. He’s gaining speed and looking like his former self again, so the Yanks should save themselves the trouble of utilizing him as trade bait.
Garcia, one of the best up and coming prospects, must also be included with Florial in the pot. Averaging 93 MPH fastballs and showing simply incredible break on his curve at 20 years old should make him untouchable. He’s the youngest player in the Yankees’ minor-league system to play at AAA-ball.
The only real trade bait the Bombers should look to prop is Frazier, who’s an elite offensive player but a well-below average defender. His confidence is the driving force behind him, which sees him come off as arrogant at times. The truth is, he’s a special talent that needs a bit more time to develop. We can imagine Yankees don’t necessarily ‘want’ to trade Frazier, but of the three, he’s the most likely to hit the road.