The New York Yankees have thus far resisted the urge to translate their new prospect wealth into a blockbuster trade. They have the right idea.
For an entire generation of New York Yankees fans, having a top-rated farm system is about as foreign as finishing a season with a sub-.500 record. Yet through some unprecedented wheeling and dealing (i.e. going into “sell mode”) prior to last year’s trade deadline, general manager Brian Cashman completely transformed the Yankees’ minor league landscape.
Dealing closer Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs brought in top shortstop prospect Gleyber Torres, currently ranked as the #2 youngster in the Yankees system by MLB Pipeline. The Cleveland Indians surrendered minor league outfielder Clint Frazier (now #1 in the Yanks’ farm per MLB Pipeline) to acquire shutdown reliever Andrew Miller.
While those were the big names, Cashman also collected several other intriguing young players, including pitcher Justus Sheffield (#6) and outfielder Billy McKinney (#16). Meanwhile, the Carlos Beltran trade netted former first-round pick Dillon Tate (#11) from the Texas Rangers.
The trend continued into the offseason, when the Yankees unloaded veteran catcher Brian McCann on the Houston Astros for a pair of minor league hurlers, including talented righty Albert Abreu (#10).
However, after watching a hated division rival trade for an established star earlier in the offseason, many wondered if the Yanks should use their newfound prospect capital to strike back. For the first time in recent memory, the Bronx Bombers indeed have the minor league resources to outbid most clubs for any coveted player that might be put up for trade.
Despite some rumors about talks with the Chicago White Sox concerning starter Jose Quintana, Cashman has held off on dealing his young charges. And while many in Yankeeland yearn to make a big splash again, that’s the right decision at this moment in time.
To put it bluntly, the Yankees are not one or two big moves away from being serious World Series contenders. Though they were able to stay in the Wild Card hunt until late in the season, the Yanks were simply average to below average in most respects during the 2016 campaign. Their offense was 22nd in runs scored (680), not receiving any real spark until rookie sensation Gary Sanchez arrived in August. Their starting pitchers posted a 4.44 ERA as a unit, good for just 19th in the league. The bullpen finished 16th with a 3.67 ERA.
Though the Yankees ended up six games over .500 at 84-78, their -22 run differential pointed to a Pythagorean record of 79-83. They may have been a bit fortunate to keep their heads above water and remain competitive for as long as they did. Sanchez’s late-season surge probably had a thing or two to do with that.
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The Boston Red Sox paid a heavy price to land Chris Sale, giving up MLB Pipeline’s overall #1-rated prospect in Yoan Moncada. While you can debate whether it was a wise move, it’s justifiable in that it pretty much made Boston the team to beat in the American League. (Although the Tribe might have a thing or two to say about that after inking Edwin Encarnacion.)
Could the Yanks have swooped in and stolen Sale out from under their rivals’ noses? Perhaps. They could definitely go out and get Quintana if they were willing to meet the ChiSox’s reportedly lofty asking price. But would either of those moves (or any other potential trade you could think of) make the Bombers championship contenders in 2017? Even serious AL East contenders. Almost certainly not.
So Brian Cashman is right to hold on to his newly stocked farm for now. In the past, the Yankees and their fans have gotten used to zeroing in one or two enticing prospects at a time: Phil Hughes, Jesus Montero, and so on. Many of them, of course, didn’t pan out, leaving the franchise without a sustainable long-term foundation. Now they finally have the beginnings of such a foundation: multiple quality prospects they can pin their hopes on instead of just a couple. Obviously they won’t all turn into bona fide major leaguers, but the chances are greater when you have a larger pool to draw from.
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While the Yankees won’t comment on it publicly, the “2018 plan” is in almost surely in effect. By the time that now almost mythic offseason rolls around, several of the club’s top young players will have had an opportunity to establish themselves. The team might even get under the luxury tax threshold if they continue to operate on a tight budget the next couple years. At that point, they stand to become major players in a star-studded free agent class that should include the likes of Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and more.