These Prospects Are Likely Available Before the Trade Deadline

The New York Yankees are open for business and despite already acquiring David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Todd Frazier already the heavy lifting may not be done in the Bronx. Depending on who you read or what news sources you trust depends on who the Yankees are scouted, being scouted by and reportedly linked to before this year’s July 31^st trade deadline including the rumored mega-deal between them and the Oakland Athletics that is being worked on presumably as we speak. If the Yankees are going to acquire first baseman Yonder Alonso and right-handed starter Sonny Gray the team is going to have to be willing to give up big-time prospects so I have taken the liberty of compiling a list of these prospects that could be or that are likely to be at least available (not necessarily traded) at this season’s trade deadline.

Any list like this has to begin and end with Jorge Mateo because, as much as it pains me to say this, it just makes sense for the Yankees to move him now. Let me stipulate that it only makes sense to move Mateo if the team plans on making a deep run into the postseason in 2017 but I feel comfortable making the assumption that they are after seeing the trade with the Chicago White Sox so thus I feel comfortable including Mateo on this list. Mateo is a shortstop by trade, that position is blocked there by a young Didi Gregorius, who learned second base, which is blocked by Starlin Castro and possibly Gleyber Torres as well, and center field, take your pick on who potentially blocks this position but you have to include Dustin Fowler, Clint Frazier who has shifted to left field for Fowler and Estevan Florial. Trading Mateo just makes sense for the Yankees and for Mateo and the young shortstop probably fetches more than most back in a trade as well.

Speaking of Estevan Florial the Yankees could conceivably trade him as well this summer before the deadline. According to reports the Oakland Athletics have already been scouting the Charleston Riverdogs where Florial plays and even after moving Blake Rutherford in the Chicago White Sox deal the Yankees still have an absolute ton of outfield depth to trade from this summer. Florial could be moved, and in my opinion he shouldn’t be unless the deal is just too good to be true, and the Yankees could still field an outfield of Clint Frazier, Aaron Judge, Dustin Fowler, Tyler Wade and Aaron Hicks among others. Florial does project as the best Yankees outfielder in the entire system but it’s hard for even me to hold onto a player that hasn’t played above Low-A Ball when a potential ace that is young and controllable like Sonny Gray could potentially be coming back in return.

Another player the Yankees could conceivably trade this summer is a player that I have personally never been big on. Tyler Wade has made two separate trips to the Major League level this season and has shown at least flashes of brilliance in both. The Yankees seem to want to platoon Wade which I don’t think is the best use of his talents nor is it the best way to showcase him in a potential trade but what do I know? I’m just a guy with a blog.

Dustin Fowler could be traded as could Gleyber Torres as a player to be named later in any deal despite their injuries. Keep that in mind.

Finally the Yankees have a trio of starting pitchers not named Chance Adams that could conceivably be moved in the right deal this winter. Domingo Acevedo, Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman all look like useful pieces inside the Yankees organization and for that reason could all be attractive to other teams in a trade. Acevedo is currently in Double-A and has reached as high as Triple-A for two starts and can touch 103 MPH on the radar gun. Acevedo’s stock comes from him being a starting pitcher but some scouts and coaches within the Yankees organization think of him as a full-time relief pitcher at the MLB level due to his inability to develop a third pitch as of the time of this writing. Acevedo has to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft after this season anyway so if the Yankees don’t see a way to protect him then they may decide to move him now for something rather than lose him later for nothing.

Guzman is in Staten Island with the Staten Island Yankees rookie ball team while Albert Abreu is struggling thus far at the High-A level in six starts. Guzman is probably three seasons or so away from the Major Leagues and has many within the organization wondering if his future is that of a starting pitcher or as a lockdown closer. Guzman has a filthy fastball and is striking out a ton of batters while Abreu on the other hand hasn’t used his fastball since early June. Abreu has been dealing with a shoulder injury that the Yankees are saying isn’t serious, of course they are, but his stats with the Tampa Yankees (0-3 record and 5.09 ERA in six starts) suggest otherwise.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to potential prospects that the Yankees could deal before next week’s July 31^st trading deadline. The Yankees have one of, if not the deepest systems in all of Major League Baseball and are primed to strike if they see the need and opportunity. The scary part is that the Yankees could trade every one of the prospects listed above and still have a Top 10 farm system in the league. That’s actually more than scary. It’s terrifying for anyone not in the league wearing a Yankees uniform right now.