Mortgaging The Future May Not Be A Bad Idea

As I write this article I understand that it may be a little tongue and cheek, cliché, or downright wrong but I am going to go ahead and post it anyway. If the Yankees did it right, and that’s the keyword of the statement, mortgaging the future may not be the worst idea they have ever had. This post may seem negative at times but I assure you it’s more for strategy purposes than anything. I love this team and want nothing but the best for it. I am not advocating for selling anything not tied down just for the heck of it and I’m not saying I would sacrifice the future for a lost cause, again I only suggest this if it’s done the right way, but I am saying that maybe selling high on guys wouldn’t be the worst idea we have ever had.

As we all are painfully aware of the Yankees have struggled with developing their own talent out of their farm system, specifically with starting pitchers. The Yankees have caught more lightning in a bottle with lesser known names and late drafted players then they have the “can’t miss” prospects. Why not trade away the Yankees top notch guys for say a Troy Tulowitzki, who has hinted at wanting out of the losing environment in Colorado, to play for a perennial contender, and to be the man to replace the retiring Derek Jeter, and roll with what we have left to fill the other voids. New York won’t have the big name draws to the park but the Yankees can survive it and still produce true Major League talent circa 1996-2000.

So many times have we seen a Jesus Montero, Drew Henson, even as far back as a Brien Taylor fizzle out and never reach their true potential. De Ja Vu all over again as we see Gary Sanchez struggling at an advanced stage, although improving defensively, and being suspended for undisclosed reasons in Trenton. We were all on the Mason Williams and Tyler Austin bandwagons only to be let down this season and last once again, not that they don’t have plenty of time to turn things around. Rafael DePaula breaks my heart every time he has a bad outing because nobody was as high on the guy as me, I had him listed in our Prospects Month prospect list at the #2 slot behind Sanchez. I’m not sure why these guys don’t work out and frankly I wouldn’t begin to know how to explain it but I also wouldn’t hold onto them based on projections alone. If the right deal were to come around I’d move them in a heartbeat, here’s also looking at you Cole Hamels.

The Yankees have gotten more out of the likes of Adam Warren, David Phelps, Dellin Betances, David Robertson, Francisco Cervelli, John Ryan Murphy, Brett Gardner, Robinson Cano, Shane Greene recently, etc. then they have out of these can’t miss guys. Whether it’s the lack of spotlight or eyes on the players or if the Yankees are just unlucky is yet to be determined but the fact remains the Yankees bread and butter has been lesser known prospects and later in the draft type prospects rather than blue chips. Currently tearing up Triple-A and outperforming most on the current Yankees roster are players like Jose Pirela, Robert Refsnyder, Adonis Garcia, Kyle Roller, John Ryan Murphy, and others that most casual fans would not know if they met them walking down the street. My point being this, the hype and the name only goes so far and the talent speaks for itself. These guys have the talent and the mental makeup to go with it, some of the blue chip prospects simply don’t and that’s baseball.

I said all that to say this, if the Yankees can make a deal that “empties” the farm and has us listed low on all these pre-season and midseason prospects lists, so what? These lists are made from people that don’t cover the team or watch the team daily and their opinions are just that, opinions. Who cares if we win a Triple-A championship? I, personally, am more concerned with winning #28 in the Bronx and while I am the biggest supporter and follower of prospects and the young guys I still want to see the big league team win. If the Yankees can swing a trade that involves Luis Severino, Abi Avelino, Gary Sanchez, etc. then do it if it makes sense and it’s done right. The Yankees may not have a Top 10 prospects list on Baseball America next January but we’ll have plenty of guys to shine up another trophy for the trophy case in November.