Could New York Have Acquired Johnny Cueto

In case you missed it the Kansas City Royals, in my opinion the Yankees biggest competition in the American League in 2015, acquired Johnny Cueto from the Cincinnati Reds. Kansas City gave up three left-handed pitchers in Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed for basically two months of Cueto. Like every top trade target part of you as a fan, if it makes sense of course, wants to see a guy like Cueto in pinstripes and as a fan everyone gets a little disappointed when that doesn't work out. Rather than call for Cashman's head or rather than starting to etch the American League pennant rings for Kansas City I'd rather use my time looking at whether Kansas City overpaid and whether New York could have made the same trade.

According to minorleagueball.com neither Reed nor Lamb made Kansas City's Top 20 Prospect list, although Lamb just missed the list while there was no mention of Reed whatsoever, but I did not need to research anything to know that Finnegan was the prize of the deal. Finnegan was far and away the Royals top prospect, he proved last season that he is major league ready and not affected by the bright lights of the playoffs and the World Series and he proved that he was an absolute stud. He doesn't rival anything that is in the Yankees farm system in my opinion.

Honestly I don't think Luis Severino even rivals or would compare to Finnegan at this point in their careers. Finnegan is just 21 years old and looks to be an absolute steal in the 2014 MLB First Year Players Draft but Severino is no Finnegan and neither is any pitching prospect currently in the Yankees system. Cueto would have been nice but if that's the asking price New York is not topping that Kansas City deal. Sorry guys.