Heyman: Two trade ideas that could work for Yankees this summer

It’s no secret that the Yankees — a combative, yet staggering club with glaring needs at certain positions — are somewhat stuck in the mire this July. They belong to a long list of teams that’ll soon be revealed as either postseason contenders or pretenders. 

At a glance, New York (44-39) currently sits on the contending side, despite enduring a wretched 7-16 skid (since June 12) which has booted them from first place in the American League East standings. As far as their needs are concerned, the Yankees would benefit from additional pitching pieces; a first baseman with a steady bat and glove would also come in handy.

If the front office chooses to buy at the trade deadline, valued prospects will be yielded. But which deals and players are the best fit for the Yankees? FanRag Sports’ insider Jon Heyman generated two ideas for New York in his latest Inside Baseball column:

Matt Adams, 1B, from the Braves to the Yankees for Dominguez Acevedo, RHP, and Drew Finley, RHP.

The Braves are still holding out some hope that the Freddie Freeman to third base experiment could work (which would allow them to retain Adams as their 1B), but if it doesn’t, from here the Yankees are the most logical trade partner. There is no guarantee Greg Bird will be back this year, Tyler Austin is on the DL and Chris Carter has underperformed so far, meaning the Yankees could easily be in the market for a first baseman (more on this in the AL notes). Yonder Alonso will also be out there, and Lucas Duda could be, too, and any of the three would work (though obviously Duda is probably a longer shot than the others since the Yankees and Mets rarely trade). They could also look instead to Lowrie, or one of two former Yankees — Prado or Solarte – or similar, as they’ve had third-base questions as well. But Adams seems like more of an impact guy.

Reaction:  A few names were mentioned above by Heyman, but the focus is around Braves’ first baseman Matt Adams. The 28-year-old lefty has rejuvenated his career since being traded by the Cardinals in late May, as he’s hit .285 with 13 home runs and 39 RBI this season. While Adams doesn’t stick out on the market like a Yonder Alonso or Eric Hosmer, for example, Adams is certainly an affordable option for any club. By year’s end, he’ll make $2.8 million, and before he becomes a free agent in 2019, he has one final year of arbitration eligibility in 2018. Adams has taken advantage of SunTrust Park’s hitter-friendly dimensions in Atlanta, and with Yankee Stadium’s short porch in right field, he could do the same in the Bronx.

The Braves would acquired Domingo Acevedo and Drew Finley, two right-handed pitchers who are ranked 12th and 21st, respectively, on the Yankees’ Top-30 prospects list, according to MLBPipeline. Acevedo is a 23-year-old big body capable of throwing a fastball into the triple digits, but scouts don’t believe he has the makeup of a starter. His 2017 campaign has been full of travel, as he began April with High-A Tampa and later moved up to Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Although his numbers aren’t too appealing, Acevedo has Major League stuff, and the Braves could still mold him. As for Finley, a 20-year-old playing with Class-A Staten Island, he’s still a ways away from the majors. Much like Acevedo, Finley would be another arm Atlanta could make some alterations to. All in all, Heyman’s first trade proposal looks fair. 

Sonny Gray, SP, and Sean Doolittle, RP, from the A’s to the Yankees for Clint Frazier, OF prospect, and Chance Adams, SP prospect.

The Yankees may not think they are ready to win based on their recent play. But if they still believe they are a legit contender, they won’t be afraid to take a chance, and this certainly would qualify as that, with Frazier the No. 17 prospect on the MLB.com list, and Adams No. 94. Gray, if he returns to previous form, would be huge for the rotation, and Doolittle gives the Yankees back their three-headed relief monster (assuming Dellin Betances solves his control issues) from a year ago and a pen to rival the Indians, who have the best in baseball since getting Andrew Miller from the Yankees. Frazier’s carefree personality may be a better fit for the A’s, anyway (it certainly didn’t look great when Frazier, upon his ascension, told the press that his Triple-A manager advised him to be “a good teammate,”); the A’s have a history of free spirits so maybe he’d be an easier fit there. Adams has taken a huge step this year. Oakland could have a terrific sale this July, and this could be the start of it. In fact, yet another A’s player, Yonder Alonso, could work for the Yankees, as well.

Reaction: This is a trade that’ll raise some eyebrows and scratch some heads. For the last two seasons, Sonny Gray’s name has come up in trade conversations, and when factoring in the Athletics’ willingness to part with top, young assets, it comes as no surprise. There’s certainly more risk involved with acquiring the 27-year-old who has yet to return to his Cy Young-caliber self, but as of late, Gray has picked things up, and is showing some consistency on the mound. Whether or not the Yankees believe Gray is the right choice, they’re in need of another starting pitcher, so in essence, beggars can’t be choosers. New York would also acquire a quality bullpen arm in Sean Doolittle, who has 27 strikeouts in 18.1 innings of work this season. Is this a safe package? Not necessarily. But Gray still has two years of arbitration left, and Doolitte’s contract offers club options in 2019 and 2020.

Now, the notion of New York moving names like Clint Frazier and Chance Adams is scary — especially when those prospects are worth moving in a deal for a better or more proven player. Although Frazier’s recent promotion to the Majors wasn’t according to plan, it’s not a bad thing for the Yankees, as they’ll quickly learn if Frazier’s build and personality fit the club’s way of doing business. Even if Frazier has “legendary bat speed,” according to general manager Brian Cashman, don’t assume for a second that the Yankees will deem him as an untouchable prospect. In reality, Adams is probably more worthy of joining the untouchable list than Frazier, as he’s made great strides between Double-A and Triple-A this year. While he still needs more time to develop, he could see the Bronx soon, and considering the Yankees’ dearth of consistent pitchers, Adams is probably worth keeping around. This is a trade that would make New York second-guess themselves.

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