The trade deadline falls on August 1 this season thanks to leap year. We’re a long way off and the season hasn’t even started yet, but let’s take a look at who could be dealt if the team is not contending come August.
The first name that comes to mind is obviously Brett Gardner. His name came up a lot in rumors this offseason and I’ve talked extensively about how fans are getting sick of his second half stats. If he doesn’t stay consistent and doesn’t get aggressive on the the bases, he could be traded. His contract could be attractive to potential suitors along with his first half scrappiness.
Another name that came up this offseason was Andrew Miller. Why? I have no idea. He did a great job in the closer role, saving 36 games with a 2.04 ERA and stayed relatively healthy (at least in Yankee terms.) He’s signed thru 2018 and fits well with the team. Another option, to me, would be Aroldis Chapman. He’s a free agent after this season and won’t be in action for the first 30 days. The Yanks obviously aren’t going to resign him so why not flip a stud closer at the deadline? Could get a big return now that the suspension has been cleared up.
Depending on how well Aaron Judge progresses in Scranton during the season, I could see Carlos Beltran being shipped out. He does have a full no trade clause that he would need to waive, but he’s in the final year of his deal and has hinted at retirement. If a contender makes an offer, he may want to go get that ring to close out an already impressive career.
Assuming CC has won the fifth spot in the rotation solely based on (contract) numbers, Ivan Nova could be another trade deadline casualty. Bryan Mitchell is pretty much the new Adam Warren, he can be used in the pen or slide into the rotation which makes Nova expendable. Mitchell has also had an impressive spring while Nova has had a subpar one. If he does well enough out of the pen, and with pen arms in high demand around the league, his stock could rise and yield a nice return.
The last player that could be traded at the deadline is more of a personal dream and not based in reality. Chase Headley. The team has no player to man third that isn’t named Headley. ARod is full time DH now and the Rob Refsnyder experiment was so-so. However, if the team has Refs at third in the Minors and they feel comfortable with what they see, they could unload Headley, his errors, and his ludicrous contract.
