Yankees stuck in mediocrity must sell

Yes, the Yankees are “still in” the Wild Card race. But that doesn’t mean we should trick ourselves into believing that the Yankees are a legitimate title contender or even a playoff team. Is it worth it again to make a run to the one game, coin flip, Wild Card game only to run up against this year’s Dallas Keuchel, as the Yankees did last year. Put bluntly, this year’s team is not all that good. And at 39-39, they are what they are.

So there is really only one logical solution, start selling off pieces and make the team better for the future. There aren’t many players who are worth anything on the trade market, but there are certainly a few on this Yankees roster that can push other teams over the hump.

Andrew Miller

Miller is by far the team’s most valuable asset. Why? Because he is under contract for two seasons AFTER this one, for just 9 million dollars a year. Consider that the typical top level closer makes more than 12 million dollars. Miller has proven, both last year and at the beginning of this year that he can be a high level closer.

Aroldis Chapman

Chapman is another of the game’s elite closers. He has shown that he is still great, even on the heels of his 30 game suspension due to a domestic violence situation during the offseason. The fireballing lefty can be a huge help to a contending team. Chapman is in the last year of his deal, so any team that acquires him would need to worry about stability at the position for next year.

Carlos Beltran

Beltran has shown that he most certainly can still hit. On the year, the 39 year old outfielder has a batting average right around .300 and is among the league leaders with 19 home runs (following Thursday’s game against the Rangers). While Beltran is no longer nearly the fielder he was, he is certainly passable in right field, although he is better suited for the DH role at this point. Because he is showing that he can still somewhat play the field, both American and National League teams can be seen as suitors for Beltran.

Mark Teixeira

This is a bit more of a long shot to actually happen. But think about it. If Mark Teixeira gets hot over the next few weeks, and he has been swinging the bat well since coming off the DL last weekend, it is in the Yankees best interest to trade the Gold Glove first baseman. The Yankees may need to eat some of his remaining salary, but Tex remains a fantastic defensive first baseman, and if he can hit well enough, it may be enticing for a team in contention… Maybe even across town.

CC Sabathia

This is an even longer shot than Mark Teixeira, but if the Yankees decide to go all in on sell mode, maybe CC is on the table. CC has had a bit of a renaissance this year, and it remains to be seen if that can be kept up as the “book” on the “New CC” makes its way around the league. But think about what CC brings to a team in contention. He has been through the wars of October baseball, has carried teams on his back through a pennant run, and can still be an effective pitcher. Now, CC has one more year left on his deal so the Yankees would most definitely need to eat money. But like I said at the beginning, this one is a long shot.

Where could they go?

Well, Chapman and Miller could be chased down by the Nationals, Cubs or Rangers, among others. Beltran could go somewhere like Cleveland, who is red hot but could always use another bat. Teixeira and CC are a bit less clear, but maybe CC ends up in Texas or Cleveland as well.

What should the Yankees get back?

They need to rebuild their farm system. Yankee fans surely have heard of some of the top prospects in the Yankees system. Aaron Judge, Greg Bird, Jorge Mateo, Rob Refsnyder, Gary Sanchez and Luis Severino are the main ones. And they are good prospects, but not great prospects. None of them are talked about in the same breath as some of the other great young talent around the league. The system is still relatively bare. The Yankees need to build up their minor league system and bring in players who will make an impact for them at the Major League level someday.