New York Yankees Panic Button: Trade Packages for Dellin Betances

The New York Yankees made another late-inning comeback on Thursday night, only to have Dellin Betances quickly give the lead back to the Boston Red Sox. Could Betances use a change of scenery?

Dellin Betances was once one of the most feared relievers in baseball, making four consecutive All-Star appearances from 2014-2017. His 98 mph fastball and sharp breaking ball were an unhittable combination. He was automatic. Betances is still a feared reliever, although he’s now feared by New York Yankees fans when he comes into the game.

Betances’s struggles seem like they could be all mental, as his stuff is still there. He seems to melt down in high-leverage situations (a role he once thrived in) and he’s proven in his last two outings that he CANNOT go multiple innings. Once a reliever you wish you could run out there every inning of every game, the Yankees now must count their blessings when Betances gets three outs and quickly move on to the next reliever.

Realistically, when Tommy Kahnle and Adam Warren come back from the disabled list, Aaron Boone will have two more trusted relievers in his bullpen and asking Betances to work multiple innings will likely become a rarity.

However, even when asked to pitch one inning, Yankees fans are nervous that any pitch from Betances could leave the ballpark. The only time fans know Betances won’t give up a home run is when he is throwing wildly out of the strike zone, in which case, multiple walks seem inevitable.

Once a runner gets on, forget it, they’re stealing at least second base (Kevin Pillar stole second, third, and home against Betances earlier this year). Betances can’t hold runners on and his long delivery gives Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine no chance of throwing out the runner.

So let’s overreact a bit here and hit the panic button on Dellin Betances. Let’s decide that we’ve had enough of Betances’s struggles and our blood pressure can’t afford to watch him pitch anymore. What could the New York Yankees get in return for Betances if they decided to trade the inconsistent setup man?

If the Yankees decided to trade Betances back in 2016 when they were shipping out Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller (an idea that was talked about), they likely would’ve gotten a package of prospects even greater than their return for Miller. Trading Betances now would certainly be selling low on a former All-Star, but with World Series aspirations, the Yankees can’t afford to wait for Betances to figure himself out.

At 30 years old with another year of arbitration, teams will be willing to take a chance on Betances to see if they can get him back to his former dominant self. Multiple teams were in talks to trade for Matt Harvey for crying out loud! The Yankees also shouldn’t be looking for prospects like they were in 2016. They should be looking for a reliever who may not have as much upside as Betances but can be trusted for the rest of this season and throughout the postseason.

Let’s take a look at potential trade packages for Dellin Betances: