Could the New York Yankees and the New York Mets hook up and make a trade this winter? John Harper of the New York Daily News seems to think so in his article, seen HERE. To paraphrase, and head over there to get the entire article and to give him some credit for his hard work, Harper wonders if the Yankees and Mets could match-up in a trade this winter. The Yankees would send both left fielder Brett Gardner and relief pitcher Andrew Miller to the Mets for a pair of young starting pitching prospects in Zack Wheeler and Rafael Montero and outfielder Alejandro De Aza. The Yankees would get two young starting pitching prospects and a ton of salary relief while also getting an outfielder to replace Gardner while the Mets get their center field replacement for Yoenis Cespedes and a true closer. Does it make sense?
On paper this makes a ton of sense, but only if you believe the Yankees won't compete in 2016. The Aroldis Chapman trade, to me anyway, shows that the team is at least going to try to compete next season. Trading Gardner for De Aza doesn't help the team immensely in my opinion while losing Miller makes the bullpen incredibly thin, again.
This makes a ton of sense for the Mets. They have four outfielders as it is, including Juan Lagares, and could limit Gardner's playing time to keep him healthy and fresh throughout the entire season. The team would also pair Miller with Juerys Familia to start the beginnings of their own little super bullpen. Where this deal doesn't make a ton of sense for the Yankees though is Montero and Wheeler.
Wheeler turns just 26-years old in May and is a potential ace, and at worst a #2 starter in my opinion, but the problem is the Yankees wouldn't know much about him until at least June of 2016. Wheeler is still out after having Tommy John surgery and while the surgery's success rate rises every year it's still far from 100%, ask Ryan Madson. This is a HUGE risk with an even HUGER reward for the Yankees. This pill could be swallowed if Montero wasn't coming off a season where he frustrated the Mets ownership and organization with what they described as a "mysterious shoulder injury."
Montero is a high-end arm that could either start or replace Miller in the bullpen but you have yet another question mark here due to injury. Also it's worth mentioning that De Aza would probably be the team's fourth outfielder while Aaron Hicks slides into left field. The team gets better defensively but De Aza making nearly $6 million on the bench irks me for some reason. Also I worry about the drop off in production from Gardner to Hicks.
At the end of the day should the Yankees pull the trigger on this 100% hypothetical trade offer? Absolutely. Talent like Montero and Wheeler don't become available often at all via trades and they usually come attached to emptying out your farm system, not a closer making $9 million annually and a 32-year old outfielder who may be on the way out of his prime. I worry about the 2016 version of the Yankees if the deal is made but if Hicks could step up and Montero could pitch the 7th inning in the Bronx I think the team is not that far off from another playoff appearance.
Imagine this starting rotation: Masahiro Tanaka, Zack Wheeler, Luis Severino, Michael Pineda and Nathan Eovaldi. All under 28-years old and all loaded with potential. If offered, make the deal.
