It only took four days for the Yankees to officially do the inevitable. The Yankees trades Tyler Wade, released Clint Frazier and Rougned Odor, just days after designating them for assignment. What is going to happen now?
Image Courtesy of Brendan Kuty from nj.com
According to Bryan Hoch of mlb.com, Wade was traded the Los Angeles Angels on Monday for either a player to be named later or cash. The following day, Wade sent out a message on Twitter saying, “I can’t thank the fans enough for embracing me and making me feel apart of the city. To All my teammates I’m gonna miss ballin and competing with y’all! New York will always be apart of me!”
As for Frazier and Odor, their journey with Yankees may be over, but that doesn’t mean their careers are. Frazier had his moments where he shined, but injuries and lack of playing stopped him from living up to his full potential. The 2019 season and shortened 2020 season were his best where he averaged .267. He only played in a total of 108 games between those seasons.
Odor has had some injuries as well from a left hamstring sprain to a right knee sprain. He has had his moments as well. His best year was in 2016 playing for the Texas Rangers when he batted .271 in 150 games. He had 164 hits, 33 home runs and 88 RBIs that year. Unfortunately, he has not shown this kind of production when coming to the Yankees.
With three players gone, this allows the Yankees to protect five prospects from the Rule 5 Draft. The Yankees are now able to add infielder Oswaldo Cabrera, right-hander Ron Marinaccio, outfielder Everson Pereira, right-hander Stephen Ridings and lefty JP Sears to their 40-man roster.
Image Courtesy of Stephanie Apstein from si.com
The Yankees will most likely look for another slugger. Someone similar to Gary Sanchez. It sounds great to get someone who has power and produces, but is it really worth it if they get another Gary Sanchez-type player who strikes out more than hits? In his career, Sanchez has struck out 582 times while having 444 hits. His career batting average is .230. He has had several moments of glory when he did was he was paid to do by getting big hits. The issue with this is he is too inconsistent.
There was a short period of time where Sanchez looked like a completely different player. His swing and stance changed, allowing him to get the bat on the ball more consistently, but that didn’t last. Why someone would mess with Sanchez’s new approach that made him a better player? Who knows? It may be possible though that the Yankees look to get rid of Sanchez. That would definitely shake things up for the Yankees’ roster.
Hopefully, the Yankees try to do what is best for the team, which is what should be done. They should focus on players who they will benefit from through producing hits, runs and making plays. If they don’t, the Yankees will end up doing what they’ve been doing during the post-season for the past 12 years: playing golf.
Featured Image Courtesy of Max Goodman from si.com
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