It was reported yesterday that the New York Yankees had interest in the Texas Rangers’ Jurickson Profar, which has many scratching their heads.
Offseason rumors are meant to be crazy, unbelievable and, most of all, exciting. The recent rumor that came out of general manager meetings for the New York Yankees is none of those.
In fact, the rumor that the Yankees might be even considering second baseman and former top prospect Jurickson Profar is absolutely ridiculous.
The Yankees have a plethora of prospects to trade for Profar, including some that they might otherwise lose to the Rule 5 draft. So, the mindset must be why not get something useful in return?
The problem is, they don’t need Profar. They don’t need a has-been, former top prospect because they have plenty of top prospects to patrol second base for years to come.
Brian Cashman revealed that he sees Gleyber Torres as a great option to be on the squad as the 2018 season starts. They have Thairo Estrada working his way up in the system. They have great options who have already proven themselves at their respective levels and in the Arizona Fall League.
While it isn’t the greatest option, the Yankees still are in possession of Starlin Castro, a second baseman who has proven that his bat is pretty valuable even though his defense may not be.
But it’s not just second base he can play. Profar can play third or shortstop, which will likely be manned by Chase Headley followed by Miguel Andujar and Didi Gregorius, respectively.
So, why Profar? Why give the Rangers beef in the starting rotation or bullpen simply to receive a player they can’t even use? To use in the future to re-bolster their farm system? Why even trade it away in the first place then?
Of course, this rumor has no grounds at the moment. Who knows what truth lies behind this gossip. Regardless, it is out there and it is running wild, with fans speculating who will be the first to catch a plane to Texas should this trade go through.
Profar wouldn’t have a definite spot on the team. The 24-year-old would likely start the season in the minors and risk not ever breaking into the pinstripes. While that not be as important to him as a young player, it would change the way we see this franchise as of right now.
With their successful season last year and the emergence of the Baby Bombers, the Yankees were one win away from moving onto the World Series. They have the talent and they are in win-now mode.
So why waste a trade where they would get a player who they need to develop more in a position that isn’t even open? Just because the Yankees can?
The shouldn’t be what their mindset is. They should be filling a need, one that can’t be filled by the lengthy line of top prospects in the Yankees’ system.
Yankees: Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Sure, it’s an option to trade for Profar. But if you really stop and look past the shiny, old shell of Profar, you’ll see that losing prospects for a return like him isn’t all that smart.