New York Yankees Trade Rumors: Time For A ‘Fire Sale’ In New York?
New York Yankees trade rumors might not give fans much hope. The latest round of Yankees rumors centers on the team needing to rebuild and how it might be time for a “fire sale” in New York. On Wednesday, June 1, the Yankees lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, ending a three-game sweep to the division rival. The 7-0 loss showed that the team still has problems with its starting rotation as well as on the offensive side of the ball.
In the series against the Blue Jays, the New York Yankees offense managed to score just three runs over 27 innings. It was not a good way to open the season series against a team that the Yankees will have to pass to move up in the American League East standings. Heading into the games on Thursday, June 2, the Yankees now hold a record of 24-28. That is good for fourth place in the AL East and just one and a half games ahead of the last-place Tampa Bay Rays.
To say that the offense has been bad lately is an understatement, making it easy to accept that there are so many New York Yankees trade rumors. Most of the regular lineup has posted a batting average below 0.250 so far. That includes Alex Rodriguez (0.174), Mark Teixeira (0.185), Austin Hicks (0.192), Brett Gardner (0.211), Brian McCann (0.224), and Chase Headley (0.230). Those numbers are through the game played against the Blue Jays on June 1.
Calling the Yankees the worst-hitting team in the American League is not an exaggeration. The team has a combined batting average of just 0.231, making it the lowest in the AL. The team also has a paltry on-base percentage of just 0.299, showing that they aren’t even drawing walks at a high rate. The OPS of just 0.670 is also pretty ugly, especially with the high number of supposed home-run hitters on the active roster.
There are a number of good hitters who have appeared in recent MLB trade rumors, nearly all of which have been linked to the Yankees as possible acquisitions. They include Ryan Braun, Matt Kemp, Jonathan Lucroy, and Wil Myers. The Yankees have even been mentioned as possible landing spots for Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. None of those Yankees trade rumors make any sense unless the team acquires several players in multiple deals. Outside of that, it may be time for the team to sell pieces.
So who are the players that should get dealt in New York Yankees trades? Aroldis Chapman is in the final year of a contract he signed with the Cincinnati Reds. He is a free agent at the end of the season, and while he could be a great player to keep on the roster, a contending team might give up good prospects to get him for the remainder of the 2016 MLB season. Andrew Miller has two years left on his deal, paying him $9 million per season through 2018, and he too could become the closer of another team.
If the Yankees offered to pay part of Jacoby Ellsbury’s contract, he is another player who might draw interest on the trade market. Quite a few teams need an improvement in the outfield, but it might require paying a significant portion of the $21 million he makes in each of the next four MLB seasons. Additional players heading to free agency who might yield something include Carlos Beltran, Mark Teixeira, Ivan Nova, and CC Sabathia. The return wouldn’t be great, but it could help the team rebuild.
The Yankees only have about $130 million in committed salaries for the 2017 MLB season. The team could become players in free agency again very soon, but now is the time to have a “fire sale” before the assets lose value. While the remainder of the 2016 MLB season could be a rough one for Yankees fans, hope for the future could come with several deals before the trade deadline. One way or another, there will be many fresh New York Yankees trade rumors, but this isn’t a team ready to compete this year.
[Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images]
