After selling off pieces at the 2016 non-waiver trade deadline, the Yankees have successfully returned to the postseason with a stacked core of young talent that looks to have them positioned for long-term success in the AL East. The composition of their roster varies significantly from their opponent in tonight’s AL Wild Card game, the Minnesota Twins, who developed the bulk of their roster via the draft and international free agency.
The Yankees have their share of homegrown talent — including the likely Rookie of the Year and possible AL MVP Aaron Judge — but they’ve acquired nearly half of tonight’s active roster via trade. Just five of the Yankees’ current players came via free agency, only two of whom signed in the past calendar year, as the team has trended more and more toward stockpiling young talent to build a cost-controlled foundation and to serve as capital on the trade market. Here’s how general manager Brian Cashman and his staff assembled one of the most talented teams in the American League…
[Related: New York Yankees Depth Chart and Payroll Outlook]
- HOMEGROWN (8)
- Brett Gardner, OF: Drafted 3rd Rd ’05
- Dellin Betances, RP: Drafted 8th Rd ’06
- Austin Romine, C: Drafted 2nd Rd ’07
- Gary Sanchez, C: International Free Agent (D.R.) July ’09
- Greg Bird, 1B: Drafted 5th Rd ’11
- Luis Severino, SP: International Free Agent (D.R.) December ’11
- Aaron Judge, OF: Drafted 1st Rd (32) ’13
- Tyler Wade, INF/OF: Drafted 4th Rd ’13
- ACQUIRED VIA FREE AGENCY (5)
- CC Sabathia, SP: December ’08 (MIL) — Signed to an eight-year, $161MM contract (signed extension at point of opt-out decision in 2011)
- Jacoby Ellsbury, CF: December ’13 (BOS) – Signed to a seven-year, $153MM contract
- Chase Headley, 3B/1B: December ’15 (re-signed): Signed to a four-year, $52MM contract
- Matt Holliday, DH: December ’16 (STL) – Signed to a one-year, $13MM contract
- Aroldis Chapman, RP: December ’16 (CHC) — Signed to a five-year, $86MM contract
- ACQUIRED VIA TRADE (11)
- Didi Gregorius, SS: December ’14 (ARZ) — Acquired in the three-team deal that sent Shane Greene to the Tigers and Robbie Ray to the D-backs
- Aaron Hicks, OF: November ’14 (MIN) — Acquired in the trade that sent John Ryan Murphy to the Twins
- Chasen Shreve, RP: January ’15 (ATL) — Acquired in the trade that sent Manny Banuelos to the Braves
- Starlin Castro, 2B: December ’15 (CHC) — Acquired in the trade that sent Adam Warren to the Cubs
- Chad Green, RP: December ’15 (DET) — Acquired in the trade that sent Justin Wilson to the Tigers
- Clint Frazier, OF: July ’16 (CLE) — Acquired in the trade that sent Andrew Miller to the Indians
- Adam Warren, RP: July ’16 (CHC) — Re-acquired in the trade Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs
- Sonny Gray, SP: July ’17 (OAK) — Acquired in the trade that sent Dustin Fowler, Jorge Mateo and James Kaprielian to the A’s
- Todd Frazier, 3B/1B: July ’17 (CWS) — Acquired in the trade that sent Blake Rutherford, Ian Clarkin, Tito Polo and Tyler Clippard to the White Sox
- Tommy Kahnle, RP: July ’17 (CWS) — Acquired in the trade that sent Blake Rutherford, Ian Clarkin, Tito Polo and Tyler Clippard to the White Sox
- David Robertson, RP: July ’17 (CWS) — Acquired in the trade that sent Blake Rutherford, Ian Clarkin, Tito Polo and Tyler Clippard to the White Sox
- ACQUIRED VIA WAIVERS (1)
Of the players currently on the roster, the only Yankees that could leave via free agency either this offseason or next are Gardner, Sabathia, Headley, Holliday, Robertson, Warren and Todd Frazier. With talent like Gleyber Torres, Chance Adams, Justus Sheffield, Estevan Florial and many others still on the horizon and plenty of money to spend on established big leaguers, the Yankees look dangerous for years to come.
Wouldn’t Robertson be considered homegrown along with Kahnle since they were drafted by the Yankees to begin with?
And Warren, for that matter.
Not for the purposes of this exercise, I don’t think. It’d be the same as listing Headley as a trade acquisition rather than a free agent, in my eyes. The Yankees developed those players, but they also let them go for various reasons before ultimately paying a premium to acquire them with competition from other clubs.
That makes sense.
Thoughtful observation. Some players should appear in multiple categories.
Another good thing to note: their top 4 players by bWAR are all 100% homegrown: Judge, Severino, Gardner, and Sanchez. And the three young guys are all making the minimum next season, with Judge and Sanchez not arb-eligible until 2020. Yanks are perfectly situated to take full advantage of the 2019 FA class.
*2018 class
As was often the case before… Jeter, Posada, Williams, Mariano…
I would say no on kahnle as while drafted by New York he debuted and had majority of career elsewhere. Think of Hanley for Red Sox for example.
Robertson and warren def can be considered homegrown though.
Hanley debuted for the Sox whereas Kahnle had never pitched for NYY before this year, he debuted with Colorado. But I see what you mean
When you look at all the moves by Cashman and the Yankee FO you’d be hard pressed to found a move that hasn’t paid off
Yangervis Solarte for Chase Headley’s last two months of control? (the contract they signed him to was a separate and irrelevant transaction)
Probably the best example, and yet Solarte reverted back to a backup-caliber player this year. Headley has been an asset, so he hasn’t exactly gone all Pablo Sandoval either. Cashman has probably has the best streak of smart trades going all the way back to 2009 when he robbed the White Sox of Nick Swisher (who then produced Aaron Judge as a compensation pick!)
Ahhh yes, the old Betemit/Nunez/Jeff Marquez pool. Marquez had a cup of coffee whereas Nunez didn’t. Frickin steal
Jacoby Ellsbury
Trading Prado and Phelps for Eovaldi and German.. German still could turn into something but so far all the Yankees got for a popular 2nd baseman/super utility are a bunch of bald spots from pulling their own hair out watching Eovaldi pitch..
Headley has one more year on his contract
If you’re referring to the final paragraph, it’s a list of players that can depart this offseason or next — basically just a means of saying almost all of the core pieces of the team are controlled beyond next year.
Gregorious/Greene/Ray trade worked out well for all 3 teams
I’d tend to disagree alittle. Greene may b ok for the tigers. But I bet they would love to have Ray back instead.
Rare to find a deal like that where 3 minor leaguers/very young major leaguers all become comfortably above average regulars. Especially given that besides DD none of them were considered top prospects.
One of the best trades that Cashman ever made. But, I think even in his wildest dreams he did not imagine Didi hitting cleanup and blocking one of the best prospects in the game. It worked out well for the D-backs too, although that took a couple of seasons. If I were a yankee fan I would be very happy that Cashman didn’t go for a big name like Tulowitzky and found a worthy replacement for Jeter.
Had George M Steinbrenner still been alive I have no doubt the push would have been on for Tulowitzky. In fact, when you think about it, Brian Cashman has been a much better GM AFTER the passing of GMS. The Yankees organization likes to wax poetic about Mr Steinbrenner’s time as an active owner of the ballclub, but the simple fact is that Brian Cashman has thrived as GM without the constant interference of GMS in baseball operations. Mr Steinbrenner never saw the big picture when it came to the talent on the field, present and future.
I don’t think even in his wildest dreams Cashman imagined Didi tying MIN NYY WildCard winner take all 3-3 with a 3R HR in the 1st.
I didn’t either and I was there = )
You were? Lucky. That Atmosphere looked amazing. I thought every flyball hit was a HR from the crowd’s reaction.
It must have been a blast. Great game to start the postseason!
It seemed like there were a lot of empty seats towards the latter stages of the game. Is that true or was it just an illusion created from the wacky camera angles?
From like the 5th or 6th I would say the lower sections started thinning out a bit. But those weren’t the ones making the noise.
Upper deck and Bleachers especially were rocking the whole way through.
Voice is still scratchy.
No doubt. Didi was always a glove first SS. Only reason he would’ve been available in such a trade. He’s obviously been much better than expected. Really all of them have exceeded expectations. Yanks and dbacks clearly got the better end but that’s usually how things go in a trade. But Greene might fetch the tigers something useful next year, looked pretty good closing games out to this point.
The Dealings with the Cubs were definitely pluses…Castro is largely underrated. The fact Cash took a chance on Chapman and he felt comfortable enough in NY to come back speaks volumes.
Safe to say Yankees and D-Backs won that three way trade.
Greene isn’t bad for Detroit but he’s not gonna outperform Didi or Ray.
Sure, although in fairness to the Tigers, and to the OP I guess, Greene’s also a productive player. They got the worst end of the deal for sure, but it’s rare in and of itself to three players traded for one another and all to be key contributors to their new teams, so it’s as close to being a unanimous win as that type of young player for young player deal can end up
Where’s Tanaka?
Tanaka is not on the Wild Card roster, so therefore he’s not included.
If they knew Severino would pitch 1⁄3 IP which ties for the shortest start in a postseason winner-take-all game since 2000, according to ESPN Stats & Info (twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/91537313178265600…)
Would they have considered adding him?
They had Gray and Sabathia in that case. Tanaka pitched last weekend and will likely start game 4 (although that is still TBD)
Slow media day ? Yawn
just remember the yankees drafted aaron judge with the compensation pick they received from cleveland for the tribe signing nick swisher to that ill fated 4 year deal
This has to be one of the best historical rebuilds, right? Cashman took a team that had 84 wins in 2016 and these trades and signings made them into a 91 win team. Has there ever been a better turnaround?