The New York Yankees will trade outfielder Carlos Beltran, closer Aroldis Chapman , and potentially others if they don’t soon turn around their lackluster 2016 season, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports .
Just reported on @FS1 : #Yankees will trade potential FAs Chapman, Beltran if things don’t turn. Drawing interest in multiple SPs. Link soon.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 16, 2016
Rosenthal’s news comes just as the Yankees dropped two straight games to arch rivals, the Boston Red Sox to open the second half of the season, dropping the team to 44-46 on the season. This is the first time since 1995 that the Yankees have been under .500 after the All-Star break, and sit nine games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East and six back of a Wild Card spot.
While that deficit isn’t insurmountable, the Yankees have a lot of good teams in front of them that they would need to jump in order to reach the postseason. In the AL East alone, Baltimore’s lineup is much better than New York’s, the Toronto Blue Jays are finally starting to play up to their full capability, and the Boston Red Sox have already made a major trade by acquiring starter Drew Pomeranz.
At this point, it doesn’t look like New York’s roster is good enough to compete with the teams in front of it, and both the Red Sox and Blue Jays are better equipped to buy at the trade deadline. The Yankees basically never sell at the deadline, but it’s the right move for the team to do so this season.
Depending on what happens elsewhere, Chapman could end up being one of the best players available on the market. The 28-year-old has been absolutely dominant since becoming a closer in 2012 with the Cincinnati Reds, racking up a career 2.19 ERA (1.95 FIP) with a K/9 mark of 15.27, per FanGraphs.com .
Teams like the Washington Nationals or Chicago Cubs may be willing to part with a strong prospect in exchange for Chapman. As Chapman is set to hit free agency and the Yankees might have a good chance to re-sign him anyway, dealing him makes sense for the club.
Beltran’s career is winding down, but the veteran has posted a 131 wRC+ through 84 games, his best mark as a Yankee, per FanGraphs.com . While the return wouldn’t come close to matching Chapman’s haul, Beltran could be a useful enough piece to someone like the Cleveland Indians. Again, Beltran is a free agent, and probably doesn’t figure to be re-signed in the off-season at 39-years-old.
It shouldn’t be hard for New York to sell either impeding free agent, in addition to pitcher Ivan Nova. The only question is how far the Yankees will go with the fire sale.
Rosenthal mentions that the Yankees are drawing interest for multiple members of their starting rotation. With the cost of pitching so high at the 2016 deadline — Boston was forced to give up an impact prospect in Anderson Espinoza for Pomeranz — the Yankees should also consider dealing one or two starters.
Veteran C.C. Sabathia is having a resurgent season and would be the easiest candidate to deal if the Yankees are willing to eat some of his $25 million option for 2017. A contender may also be willing to gamble on Michael Pineda, who flashes dominant upside at times and might benefit from a change-of-scenery deal.
In addition, the Yankees should shop reliever Andrew Miller, who is under contract until 2019 and would command a great package of young talent in return. The Yankees have a solid farm system with potential stars like Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge, but should take this opportunity to really improve it.
While we expect the Yankees to always bounce back quickly due to their massive payroll and ability to attract free agents, that won’t be so easy this off-season. The free agent class of 2017 is very weak, and the Yankees have a lot of holes at the MLB level, so focusing on developing the farm would be a better move for now.
The Yankees’ willingness to trade Chapman and Beltran makes sense, and they should consider taking it a step further by putting Pineda and Miller on the block.
[Photo by Elsa/Getty Images]