MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees Stick To Conservative Trade Policy But May Still Pull Off A Blockbuster Deal
New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman has maintained a conservative trade policy regarding the team’s top prospects for the last few seasons, preferring to use the farm system to draw from internally instead of as trading chips. That doesn’t mean he won’t move a top prospect if it makes sense; he just isn’t at all likely to do it for a rental player for the second half of the season. That has, in part, been why the Yankees haven’t been seriously involved in trade talks for some of the higher end players so far this month. That may all change.
Even though the Giants aren’t having a terrible season, checking in at a game over 0.500 currently, they aren’t pegged as a team going anywhere right now. They are fourth in their division and while everyone else is getting armed for the second half, San Francisco is treading water. For a team in that position, it might make prompt a move for a player like Madison Bumgarner, according to FanSided. It would make sense for the Giants to look into moving him, and sense for the Yankees to take a shot at acquiring him.
Bumgarner still hasn’t gotten back to form after breaking his hand in spring training. His command has been off, his velocity is good, but a tick slow, and he doesn’t appear to have the bite on his cutter he did prior to the injury. In spite of that, he is still on top of the rotation starter, he’s only 28, and his salary is not out of range for New York to acquire against the cap this season. Also, he is under a $12 million team option for next season, according to Baseball Reference, so he doesn’t fall under the umbrella of being a second-half rental.
The Yankees are still pursuing pitching in a not-so-great trade market. But they’ve made it clear to teams they won’t part with elite prospects for a rental. Read that as Sheffield, Frazier, Florial, Abreu, Acevedo, etc.
— JackCurryYES (@JackCurryYES) July 23, 2018
The problem with this potential deal presented by Fansided is it may fall apart if Bumgarner has trouble with his physical. San Francisco may decide they can’t afford to move him from a PR standpoint. Cashman may not be willing to part with multiple top tier prospects for a pitcher coming back from a broken hand with control problems. There may be an issue about who is paying what regarding the remainder of his contract this season.
What may save the deal is the Yankees have had their radar tuned onto Bumgarner for a month now. San Francisco is in the market for high-end talent they can control for a few years that will be MLB ready before the decade closes out. New York needs starting pitching if they expect to keep Boston in shouting distance. Making a big move to land Bumgarner would actually be easier than two moves to land two serviceable starters that can keep it close until turning it over to the bullpen. As Ken Davidoff of the New York Post says, it’s the Scott Boras approach, go big or go home.
Scott Boras approach now best hope for #Yankees' starter splash https://t.co/2rEAc189Pz via @nypostsports
— Ken Davidoff (@KenDavidoff) July 23, 2018
