The New York Yankees are building towards the future while
one other team in the American League has their future in mind for an entirely
different set of reasons. While the Yankees don’t plan on putting the World
Series or bust mantra back on the team’s shoulders until at least the 2018 or
2019 season the Kansas City Royals are headed in an entirely different
direction. While one window opens, the Yankees window, another one closes and
that closing window belongs to the Kansas City Royals. Can and should the
Yankees take advantage of that?
After the 2017 season the Royals will have three integral
parts of their team, barring extensions between then and now of course, hitting
free agency in outfielder Lorenzo Cain, first baseman Eric Hosmer and LHP Danny
Duffy. Kansas City, being the small market team that they are, presumably does
not want to lose these guys for nothing in return so I wonder if it’s worth
making the phone call to see if they could be had not rather than wait until
July.
You are playing with fire the longer you wait to make a
serious phone call and have a serious discussion with Dayton Moore and company
in my opinion because Kansas City may actually compete in 2017. If the team
competes and is in the hunt for an American League Central Division title,
which will be likely with the Chicago White Sox selling off pieces and the
Detroit Tigers at least vocal about their willingness to sell off pieces, they
will not be trading these players before the July 31st trading
deadline. If you ask their GM now though he may be willing to move one or two of
them, preferably Hosmer and/or Duffy in the Yankees case, now rather than risk
it later.
I don’t pretend to know what the exact needs of the Royals
is when it comes to their minor league system and their farm teams but I know
they would want salary relief and prospects in return and that is two things
the Yankees have plenty of at this point in the game. Now would I give up
Gleyber Torres, Clint Frazier or anyone in the Top 10 for one year of either
Hosmer or Duffy? I wouldn’t personally, Brian Cashman might, but would I give
them one or two prospects from the #11 - #20 spots? Sure, in a heartbeat I
would. I would also try and extend a guy like Duffy as well but that’s another
discussion for another blog post.
So should the Yankees and Royals begin talking? In my
opinion, yes. It doesn’t hurt to ask because like the New York Lottery “hey,
you never know.”
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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)