So … who’s next?
The Yankees have traded away lefty relievers Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman — and the return, it should be noted, is really impressive — and seem to have accepted that 2016 will not go down in history as a playoff season for the franchise.
Trading away the veteran stars to acquire young talent is absolutely the right move for the long-term health of the franchise. Without a doubt.
MORE: The worst in-season trades ever for every American League team
Now, the question is this: Are they done? What other players might be on the move before the non-waiver trade deadline arrives at 4 p.m. ET on Monday?
Let’s take a look.
RF/DH Carlos Beltran: The veteran switch-hitter free-agent-to-be has been a revelation this year. He’s 39, but he’s healthier and more productive than he’s been at any point during his years with the Yankees. Beltran’s hitting .301 with a .880 OPS, 21 homers and 62 RBIs. Because he’ll be 40 next April, though, he’s not exactly a prime candidate to receive a qualifying offer, which means that if the Yankees just hold onto him and let him walk as a free agent, they’ll extract zero post-2016 value. That’s not going to happen. There are plenty of teams out there who would love to add a power switch-hitter to their lineup, especially a guy with a postseason track record like Beltran’s (career .332 average with 16 homers and 40 RBIs in 52 games). He might not get a huge return in terms of prospects, but anything is better than nothing.
RP Dellin Betances: His name has been mentioned in the past month as a possible trade chip, if the Yankees decided to keep Miller instead (Betances is only under club control for one season longer than Miller). With Miller going to the Indians, though, Betances isn’t going anywhere. He finally gets his richly deserved opportunity to close for the Yankees.
C Brian McCann: We all saw how many teams were interested in Jonathan Lucroy. McCann, should the Yankees really go all-in with this selling thing, figures to draw some interest, too. Not Lucroy-level interest, obviously, but he has 15 homers and a .764 OPS this season. McCann, 32, is making $17 million in both 2017 and 2018, which means that the Yankees would have to eat a significant portion of that money to deal him. The Braves reportedly have interest in bringing their long-time catcher back home.
SP CC Sabathia: The lefty is having his best season since 2012 (3.95 ERA in 18 starts), and there are plenty of contenders that could use a veteran guy in the latter half of their rotation. Problem is, he has no-trade protection, and as an incentive to waive that right, he’d almost certainly require the acquiring team to pick up his $25 million option for 2017 (it might vest anyway, if he continues to stay healthy).
DH Alex Rodriguez: Just kidding.
LF Brett Gardner: Since signing his four-year, $52 million extension with the Yankees before the 2014 season, Garnder has produced a slash line of .257/.338/.399. The extension kicked in for 2015, which means Gardner has $23 million guaranteed for 2017-18, with a club option for $12.5 million (with a $2 million buyout) for 2019. If the Yankees want to get anything back in terms of above-average prospects, they’d have to include money. It’s doubtful he goes anywhere now.
CF Jacoby Ellsbury: He’s not going anywhere. Ellsbury cashed in with a contract that’s paying him north of $21 million every year through the 2020 season, but in 205 games since the start of 2015, Ellsbury has 11 homers, 38 stolen bases (he's been caught stealing 17 times) and a .676 OPS.
MORE: The best hitters availabe on the MLB trade market
SP Ivan Nova: He’s a free agent after this season, and there’s zero chance the Yankees extend a qualifying offer, so it makes sense they’d try to trade him. But is any contender really going to take a flyer on a guy with a 5.63 ERA in 10 starts since the beginning of June? And even if the Yankees find an interested team, there’s zero chance they get even a mid-level prospect for Nova.
SP Michael Pineda: Like Nova, Pineda has struggled this season (he has a 5.00 ERA). But he’s under club control for 2017, too, and there are reasons to think he could still be an effective starter in the big leagues. Those reasons start with his K/9 ratio of 10.7, which is tops in the AL. It’s possible the Yankees could find an interested team that isn’t a contender this year, but hopes to be in 2017 and looks at Pineda as a worthwhile risk.
SP Nathan Eovaldi: He’s in basically the same boat as Pineda. He’s a high-upside struggling starter who has one year of club control left. He’s been effective in his three starts since a stint in the bullpen (3.00 ERA in 18 innings), and that fastball that hits 100 mph will always keep front-office types interested.
