New York Yankees Must Trade Carlos Beltran at All Costs

By Nikhil Potpally | Aug 1, 2016

Jul 26, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Carlos Beltran (36) hits a single during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

The New York Yankees must make an active effort to trade outfielder Carlos Beltran before Monday’s 4 PM non-waiver trade deadline.

The New York Yankees have been very busy over the past couple of weeks, trading star lefty relievers Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller to the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians, respectively. These moves replenished the Yankees’ farm system and added young prospects who have tremendous potentials. The trades should not stop there for Brian Cashman, and he must make every effort to continue the rebuilding process he started.

When the Yankees were pretending to be a playoff contender, there was some hesitation in deciding whether to move key pieces. Ultimately, a bad series against the Tampa Bay Rays signaled the end for this current group of Yankees and confirmed what we already knew. The 2016 Yankees were never a championship team, and now the focus can be shifted towards improving the future via trades.

Possible trade bait includes OF Carlos Beltran, OF Brett Gardner, P Ivan Nova and C Brian McCann. Of the four, the Yankees must find a way to trade Beltran for a good haul. A 39-year-old free agent-to-be batting .301 with a .538 OBP, .880 SLG, 21 HR and 62 RBI is simply too valuable to hold onto.

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Beltran is towards the tail-end of his playing career and realistically, he will not be back on the team next year. Therefore, the Yankees must trade him and land a good prospect or two in return.

Holding onto him for the season and making a qualifying offer does not extract Beltran’s full value. A team desperate for a deep playoff run will want to add a leader and solid bat into their lineup even though he is a rental. For several teams, Beltran can be the difference that pushes them over the top. While he may not net the same return as Chapman or Miller, the Yankees can expect a quality minor league player or two back.

Destinations commonly mentioned are the San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers. AL teams will in a better position to utilize Beltran because of the DH spot.

I don’t think the Yankees will trade Beltran to the Red Sox unless they are completely blown away, but I do see the Texas Rangers as the most likely target from the bunch. With their recent moves, I think the Giants and Indians will pass on Beltran. Namely, if the Rangers don’t acquire Jonathan Lucroy, I think they will be all-in on Beltran.

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While we don’t often see the Yankees rebuild via trades (or at all), they should finish what they started. The team has already begun the process of improving their farm system and has waved the white flag on 2016. Trading Beltran is a step in the right direction and the Yankees can finally move closer towards championship No.28.

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