New York Yankees: Updated top 10 prospects for 2018
After a three-way trade with the Diamondbacks and Rays that brought the New York Yankees their third baseman, what does their system look like now?
Our team top 10 prospect lists at Call to the Pen are spearheaded by Benjamin Chase. Today, he gives us the top ten prospects for the New York Yankees.
This season, we will be going through teams by division, in order of record. The AL East will be first, followed by the AL Central and AL West. Then the focus will shift to the National League in the same order.
The format will be as it was last season for the same lists, with a system review, which will include last season’s list. The top 10 will follow in reverse order, two players per page in order to give adequate space to each player. Major trades or international signings will lead to an updated top 10!
Finally, don’t go away after #1 is revealed as each list will also contain a player either signed in the 2017 international free agent class or drafted in 2017 that isn’t part of the top 10 and should be tracked. Last season’s mentions in that area made over half of the top 10s this season, so this is a great way to get to know a player who could be making a big splash in the organization.
System overview
Brian Cashman has wanted to rebuild and go away from huge, burdensome contracts for years, and in 2016, he was given permission to pursue just that. He had built up a number of quality prospects in the Yankees farm system of his own doing, but rather than trading those prospects away in 2016, he was allowed to add to them.
From July 1st of 2016 to opening day of 2017, the Yankees traded away Aroldis Chapman (later re-signed over the 2016-2017 offseason), Andrew Miller, Carlos Beltran, Ivan Nova, Ben Gamel, and Brian McCann and received back 17 prospects that have given the system depth and top end strength as well.
In 2017, the Yankees made a trio of deals that traded away 8 prospects and a major leaguer for 5 major league players that helped toward their playoff run. Of the 8 prospects traded, only two would be on this list, which is the level of depth the system had to move.
The Yankees are also set up very well financially going forward, with ~$50 million of 2017 opening day payroll off the books going into 2018. Another ~$30 million will come off the books after this offseason with the Yankees actively looking to move some of the bigger contracts left on their team currently, like Jacoby Ellsbury and Starlin Castro, by offering to eat some of their remaining contract.
The Yankees may have seen the talent level dip at the top end of their system with a number of players shipped off and a few guys graduate as well, but this is still one of the top 10 systems in the entire game and certainly one of the deepest systems in the whole game.
After the trade to acquire Brandon Drury, the Yankees traded away two pieces from their farm system that ranked in my top 10 earlier this offseason, but this is still a definite top 10 farm system!
Let’s take a look at that system….
Next: #9 and #10