Why the Yankees Should Not Be Afraid To Swing Another Big Trade

Why the Yankees Should Not Be Afraid To Swing Another Big Trade

By Derek McAdam

March 18, 2022

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Earlier this week, the Yankees announced the swap of Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt for Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez while also signing Anthony Rizzo to a two-year, $32 million contract with an opt-out after the first season.

These two transactions not only solved multiple positional issues for the Yankees but also may allow the team to make another trade or two, possibly for starting pitching help.

While the Yankees are still being linked to Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas of the Oakland A’s, there are doubts that New York can walk away with even just one of the two pitchers. Oakland has asked for one of either Anthony Volpe or Oswald Peraza in a potential trade for Matt Olson, which may still hold up for either Manaea or Montas.

There should be no reason why Brian Cashman should not be able to swing a trade for one or both of these pitchers. Here’s why.

If the concern is waiting on the development of the two top shortstop prospects, a key thing to remember is that they are prospects and not proven players. While Kiner-Falefa may not be the biggest stud in baseball, he has a career .265 average, has speed, and can play good defense. He has proven he can play with the big boys.

But let’s also consider this. What are the Yankees going to do if Peraza comes up before Volpe and makes a solid first impression? What happens to Volpe? Do they trade him, try him out and shortstop and move Peraza to second base, or start Volpe out at second base to begin his big league career?

These are all valid points to consider. But what if neither one of these prospects ends up working out? The Yankees still have another top international prospect in Roderick Arias they just signed a couple of months ago. He could end up working out.

Cashman has been known to be a “prospect hugger,” a term I may or may not have come up with on my own. All it means is that he is afraid to send off prospects in search of proven talent. After all, a reason Gerrit Cole was traded to the Astros instead of the Yankees was that Cashman did not want to give up on Chance Adams.

Just two years later, he was designated for assignment.

If I’m the Yankees, I would be more hesitant to trade Volpe since he seems to be the more promising prospect. But they can’t sit here and play the game of chance amongst three shortstop prospects. One cannot keep every prospect.

For the record, I am not one to trade players in the farm system so easily. In fact, I typically discourage the act. But this is a time where the Yankees need to realize their depth at shortstop is tremendous and they can part with one of the shortstop prospects.

Is it likely to happen? Probably not. But this is a realistic approach where the Yankees would not be forfeiting a good chunk of their farm system in order to help the big league club. The depth is there. It’s time to use it.

#FrankieMontas #NewYorkYankees #OaklandAs #SeanManaea