Yankees Scouting Washington & Houston Prospects/Players

The common misconception around the league is that when a team enters spring training that their team is basically a finished product with prospects and players fighting for key spots. At this point in the game though there are still teams out there actively working the trade mills and the scouring the waiver wire and free agent market including the New York Yankees. According to multiple reports the Yankees are scouting players and prospects from the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals leading you to believe a potential trade is at least in talks, and maybe in the works as we speak here this morning.

The Yankees still presumably need rotation and bullpen arms and both teams have available arms for trade if New York was able and willing to part with the prospects so it makes sense that the team has scouts in attendance when both teams visited the New York Mets this weekend in spring training.

Friday night the Astros threw out right-hander Joe Musgrove who responded by throwing three scoreless innings against the Mets. Musgrove struck out four and walked one in the contest in front of Yankees scout and former pitcher Matt Daley. Musgrove, now 24-years old, was a 2011 first round draft pick by the Astros who finished strong last season posting a 4-4 record with a 4.06 ERA in his last 11 starts of the season.

The Nationals sent right-hander Erick Freede to the mound on Saturday who also posted three scoreless innings allowing one hit with a walk and a strikeout mixed in. Daley was also in attendance for this start and he saw the Nationals 2014 first round draft pick and 52^nd overall prospect in all of baseball according to Baseball America. Freede has yet to pitch above Double-A so he wouldn’t be an immediate help to New York but he could give the Yankees another top-end starting option in the minors to go along with James Kaprielian.

Nothing is imminent and this may just be the Yankees doing their due diligence but the fact remains that the team had a scout in attendance for these two games and they usually just don’t do that for no good reason. Something may be brewing and something may happen soon. If it does we will have it so stay tuned.