The New York Yankees continued their youth movement trading Brian McCann to the Houston Astros for two pitching prospects.
TheNew York Yankeestraded away plenty of veterans during the 2016 season.Carlos Beltran,Aroldis Chapman, andAndrew Millerwere all traded away in an effort to restock the Yankees farm system. There were plenty of rumors floating around that the Yankees weren’t done trading, as Brett Gardner andBrian McCannhave also been the center of trade discussions. It was alsoreportedthis week that the Yankees are willing to trade away third basemanChase Headley.
One of those rumors has come to fruition, as the Yankees have traded McCann. The Yankees agreed to trade McCann to the Houston Astros according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network and Fox Sports.
#Astrosacquire Brian McCann from#Yankees.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi)November 17, 2016
Morosi adds that the Yankees will pay a chunk of McCann’s contract, as they are sending cash to the Astros as well. McCann also had to waive his no-trade clause to make a deal happen. In exchange for McCann, the Yankees are receiving two right-handed pitching prospects;Albert AbreuandJorge Guzman.
#Yankeesacquire RHPs Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman from#Astrosfor Brian McCann and cash.@MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi)November 17, 2016
Brian McCann waived his no-trade clause and accepted trade to Houston.@MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi)November 17, 2016
The Yankees once again did a solid job of flipping a veteran into pieces that can help them in the future and bolster their farm system. Abreu was the seventh-rated prospect in the Astros farm system. While Guzman was not ranked, he is only 20-years old and has plenty of time to develop into a useful player for the Yankees.
More fromNew York Yankees
- Last Chance Caesars Promo: Claim $1,250 Bonus for ANY MLB Bet!
- Caesars New York Promo Code Gives TWO Chances to Win Betting on Your Yankees!
- PointsBet New York Promo: FIVE $100 Bonus Bets to Back the Yankees or Mets!
- Caesars NY Promo: $1,250 Bonus to Celebrate the Return of Judge!
- Get $500 in Bonus Bets to Back Yankees or Mets With PointsBet New York Promo
In Abreu the Yankees get a player that is a potential front line starter. He has a fastball that touches 99 miles per hour with two power breaking balls and a changeup. There is some debate about which secondary pitch is currently Abreu’s best, but there is little disagreement about the work that he needs to put in.
While the talent is there, Abreu is far from a finished product.MLB Prospect Pipelinesays that Abreu needs to work on repeating his delivery, along with improving command and control. He is only 21-years old and was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2013.
In his career Abreu is 8-13 with a 3.16 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, appearing in 51 games and starting 37. He has 220 strikeouts in 216 1/3 innings pitched.
Guzman is 6-8 in his minor league career with a 4.63 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. He had 83 strikeouts in 95 1/3 innings pitched. Guzman was not among the Astros top 30 prospects.
Next: Twitter Reaction To Brian McCann Trade
As for the Astros, they are getting a veteran that can replaceJason Castroat catcher. McCann should split his time behind the plate and at DH, probably withEvan Gattis. He provides another middle of the order bat and run producer for the Astros and should fit into their lineup seamlessly. He should also help bring along the pitching staff that regressed in 2016 from 2015.
Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations
