The firesale in New York may be underway after all.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Yankees will be sending All-Star reliever Andrew Miller to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for prospects Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, Ben Heller, and J.P. Feyereisen, beginning what appears to be a July sell-off for New York.
Clint Frazier and Justus Sheffield generally regarded as two of the Indians’ three best prospects. A strong haul for the Yankees.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 31, 2016
Frazier, a 21-year-old right-handed outfielder, headlines the deal for the Yankees, ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Indians’ system and No. 27 overall in baseball, according to MLB.com. In 89 games with Double-A Akron, Frazier hit .276 with 13 home runs and 48 runs batted in, and was recently promoted to Triple-A Columbus.
According to an MLB Pipeline scouting report: Frazier’s bat speed and raw power are among the best in the Minor Leagues and suggest the ceiling of an All-Star. Though he struggled to harness his aggressive approach and recognize spin early in his career, Frazier has developed into a more complete hitter as he’s climbed the Minor League ladder, with strikeout and walk rates that continue to trend in a positive direction.
Frazier has above-average speed and will continue to develop in center field, though he may eventually have to slide over to right field in deference to the some of the Tribe’s other center-field prospects in the high Minors.
Sheffield, a 20-year-old left-handed pitcher, is ranked No. 95 overall by MLB.com, and is the nephew of former Yankee Gary Sheffield. With High-A Lynchburg, Sheffield has started 19 games, earning a 3.59 ERA with 93 strikeouts and 91 hits in 95.1 innings.
Heller and Feyereisen, two right-handed relievers, have each excelled in the minors. Heller, 24, has a 2.49 ERA with Triple-A , while Feyereisen, 23, has a 2.23 ERA in Double-A.
According to FanRag Sports’ insider Jon Heyman, Yankees officials made the decision to part ways with assets on Saturday night after losing two consecutive games against the last-place Tampa Bay Rays.
The 31-year-old Miller has 77 strikeouts in only 45.1 innings this season, and is under contract for the next two seasons at $18 million.
