Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Estevan Florial

Yankees Designate Estevan Florial For Assignment

By | at

The Yankees announced they’ve designated outfielder Estevan Florial for assignment to make room for right-hander Colten Brewer to be added to the big league roster.

It seems highly unlikely that Florial, once one of the game’s top prospects, passes through waivers unclaimed, so this is almost certainly the end of his tenure in the Bronx. The Yankees could look to trade him before he’s exposed to waivers, and given he’s still only 25 and has hit well in the minors, it’s likely teams – particularly rebuilding ones – would have interest in taking a flier on the outfielder.

Signed by the Yankees out of the Dominican Republic, Florial rose through the minors as a toolsy outfielder in the Yankees’ system. Last year at Triple-A, Florial slashed .283/.368/.481 with 15 home runs across 461 plate appearances, swiping 39 bags in the process. Unfortunately, those strong numbers in the top level of the minors haven’t translated to the big leagues, and Florial has hit just .185/.302/.278 over 63 plate appearances, striking out in exactly one third of those appearances.

In Florial’s defense, he’s never really been given an extended run in the majors to settle in, and so it’s entirely possible that a rebuilding team with less urgency could afford Florial some regular game time to find his groove.

With an off day immediately following Opening Day, the Yankees had obviously felt comfortable running a pitcher short and carrying three outfielders – Florial, Aaron Hicks and Franchy Cordero – on their bench. But with the team back in action today something had to give, and they’ll evidently remove Florial from the roster to make room for Brewer.

Brewer, 30, had been acquired from the Rays in exchange for cash last week, where he’d been in camp on a minor league deal. Brewer tossed 91 innings of relief for the Padres and Red Sox between 2018-21, working to a 5.04 ERA with a 20.3% strikeout rate and a 13.4% walk rate. He spent last season with the Royals on a minor league deal, but after working to a 4.76 ERA at Triple-A he was released in August after failing to crack the big league roster.

Big Hype Prospects: Florial, Tiedemann, Amaya, Tovar, Vargas

By | at

For this week’s post, let’s look at some prospects who might be affected by recent rumors….

Five BHPs In The News

Estevan Florial, 25, OF, NYY (MLB)
(AAA) 461 PA, 15 HR, 39 SB, .283/.368/.481

Although Florial has spent parts of three seasons in the Majors, he has just 63 plate appearances to his name. The left-handed hitter has yet to find success in New York, batting a combined .185/.302/.278. Now out of minor league options, Florial is poised to participate in a good old-fashioned Spring Training battle for oufield playing time. Barring a trade, the Yankees are running out of free-agent challengers for in-house options like Florial, Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa for left field. They also added Willie Calhoun and Rafael Ortega as non-roster depth.

It’s easy to spot Florial’s biggest weakness; no matter the quality of competition, he consistently posts a high swinging strike rate. Florial is also a disciplined hitter, which means he takes his fair share of looking strikes. These traits contribute to an over 30 percent strikeout rate. Successful hitters of this type (i.e. Kyle Schwarber) have an excellent quality-of-contact profile, but since Florial hasn’t yet demonstrated an ability make such contact, his future as a Major League regular is dependent on skills growth. Should his strikeout rates and/or quality of contact improve, he has easy double-plus speed and enough raw power to become an entertaining regular. Even if Florial remains a role player, his speed dovetails nicely with the new baserunning-related rules. Even if playing time might be hard to come by in the crowded New York outfield, Florial could serve as a useful pinch-runner and defensive replacement.

Ricky Tiedemann, 20, SP, TOR (AA)
(A/A+/AA) 78.2 IP, 13.4 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 2.17 ERA

A 2021 third-round draftee, Tiedemann is on the shortlist with the likes of Andrew Painter and Eury Perez for best pitching prospect aged 20 and under. We’ve covered him a few times within the confines of this column. The Blue Jays appear headed toward a Spring Training battle for the fifth starter role, and Tiedemann is an attractive (albeit longshot) option for the job. The southpaw has three plus pitches, although reports suggest he could do with more time in the minors to better learn how to command his offerings. An Opening Day roster spot seems implausible, but we could see Tiedemann in Toronto by midseason. One caveat is his workload, as he averaged just over four innings per start last season and typically faced between 17 and 20 batters. Between low per-outing and total innings, Tiedemann might be more focused on stretching out than contributing in 2023.

Jacob Amaya, 24, SS, MIA (AAA)
(AA/AAA) 567 PA, 17 HR, 6 SB, .261/.369/.427

We covered Amaya a little over a month ago when speaking of the Dodgers middle infield depth. The skinny is straightforward – he’s a patient hitter with a history of modest exit velocities and too much ground ball contact. The profile is that of a second-division starter or utility man. Acquired by the Marlins as the return for Miguel Rojas, Amaya should find his way to the Majors at some point this season – possibly Opening Day. Unlike higher-profile prospects, the Marlins have little incentive to worry about Amaya’s club control. He could potentially form a platoon with Joey Wendle or join Jon Berti and Jordan Groshans as flexible bench depth.

Ezequiel Tovar, 21, SS, COL (MLB)
(AA) 295 PA, 13 HR, 17 SB, .318/.386/.545

Tovar has just 23 plate appearances in Triple-A and another 35 in the Majors. Even so, the Rockies seem intent to include Tovar on the Opening Day roster. Colorado explored at least one trade of infielder Brendan Rodgers, and the free agent options to fill a middle infield role are beginning to dwindle. Even with Rodgers in the fold, Tovar could still garner a starting job. The shortstop is expected to have some issues with swinging strikes early in his career, particularly with breaking balls outside of the zone. An aggressive approach might help him to avoid strikeouts.

Miguel Vargas, 23, UT, LAD (MLB)
(AAA) 520 PA, 17 HR, 16 SB, .304/.404/.511

Major League pitchers figured out how to work above Vargas’ barrel in a limited 50 plate appearance trial last season. Vargas has both discipline and a feel for contact. The Dodgers are adept at deploying their hitters in beneficial matchups. Look for Vargas to form a very loose platoon with the likes of Chris Taylor, Max Muncy, and James Outman across multiple positions. His reputation for barreling baseballs suggests he’ll adapt to high fastballs. If not, he can still be used against pitchers who lack that particular weapon or otherwise have poor command. He’s considered particularly adept at hitting breaking balls.

Three More

JJ Bleday, MIA (25): No longer rookie-eligible after making 238 plate appearances last season, Bleday nonetheless remains an unproven prospect with an uncertain future in Miami. Bleday did well to adapt his swing after a disappointing 2021 campaign, but he is an extreme flyball hitter who seems destined to require a friendlier home venue. The Marlins’ rumored interest in Max Kepler could affect Bleday’s opportunities in 2023.

Stone Garrett, WSH (27): A late-bloomer who signed with the Nationals early in the offseason, Garrett could be the next Patrick Wisdom. The sluggers aren’t perfect clones of one another, but they’re known for whiffing often and putting a charge into it when they connect. Garrett has an over-aggressive approach and questionable breaking ball recognition.

Brett Baty, NYM (23): Now that Carlos Correa has officially re-signed with the Twins, Baty should be back in the Mets long-term plans. The patient lefty hitter is expected to bat for a high average. Between power-suppressant CitiField and a grounder-oriented approach, Baty’s high exit velocities might not parlay into many home runs. His third base defense is considered below average, though I would hazard his baseline is higher than that of Alec Bohm. If Bohm can work his way up to acceptable defense, Baty should be able to do the same.

Latest On The Yankees’ Left Field Plans

By | at

The Yankees’ left field conundrum has been an ongoing topic of the off-season as the team mulls over whether or not to bring in someone through the trade market or free agency, or stick with their internal options.

As Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports, the team’s preferred outcome would have been to retain Andrew Benintendi, but he wound up signing a five-year, $75MM deal with the White Sox. He reports that the Yankees would have gone to five years to get Benintendi were it not for the fact they’d signed starter Carlos Rodon to a six-year, $162MM pact. Sherman also reports that the team was “very involved” in trade talks with the Diamondbacks about Daulton Varsho before they ultimately shifted him to Toronto for Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno.

The biggest available name the team has been connected to is Bryan Reynolds. He has requested a trade out of Pittsburgh, but it seems the Bucs have set a high asking price on their star outfielder and haven’t budged on that front. Nonetheless, Jon Heyman of the New York Post recently reported that the Yankees were one of the teams “consistently” interested in acquiring Reynolds. As a switch-hitter with three-years of team control remaining he’d certainly fit on their roster, but the Yankees may be reluctant to part with top prospects such as Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe to get a deal done.

It’s slim pickings on the free agent market at this point, but Sherman does note that the team has had some interest in Jurickson Profar. The switch-hitter was worth 2.5 fWAR for the Padres in 2022 and would be a solid option to upgrade their outfield stocks. Yet Oswaldo Cabrera was worth 1.5 fWAR in 44 games and Aaron Hicks the same in 130 games, so the team may not see Profar as enough of a needle-mover to commit to the multi-year deal he likely seeks. The same could be said of another left-handed bat in David Peralta, but it doesn’t appear there’s been much interest from the Yankees anyway.

Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported in a recent mailbag that the team could forego external options and let Hicks and Cabrera battle it out in spring training for the starting job. While it isn’t the most exciting option for Yankees fans, there is some sense in it. The Yankees roster is strong enough to be in a good spot for the first three months of the season without an upgrade in left, so the team could see if Hicks can rebound or Cabrera can sustain his small sample of work over a longer period, before deciding whether or not to seek an external upgrade at the trade deadline.

Hicks had plenty of shortcomings in 2022, but he still walked at a strong 13.7% clip and if he can regain even a little bit of the power he’s showed in the past he could still be reasonably productive player. Cabrera was exceptional in the field last year, earning 9 Defensive Runs Saved in 278 2/3 outfield innings, while posting a 111 wRC+ at the plate. He also struggled mightily in the playoffs, going 2-for-28 with 12 strikeouts. In any event, he may have more value to the Yankees as someone who can play all over the field rather than in a fixed position, allowing the Yankees to spell some of their veterans on a more regular basis.

Estevan Florial is the other internal option that the Yankees will need to make a decision on. A toolsy former top-100 prospect, Florial has found opportunities few and far between over the past three seasons (just 63 plate appearances) but is out of options so can’t be sent to the minors without being exposed to waivers. He’s hit well at Triple-A and the Yankees could give him an extended run in the majors, but Sherman opines that the Yankees could trade him prior to the season opener. While his trade value won’t be particularly high anymore, plenty of teams – particularly rebuilding ones – would surely like to give him an extended opportunity in the big leagues to see if they can tap into his potential.

The Yankees have also been aggressive in recent weeks in stocking up on outfield depth in the minors. They’ve signed Willie Calhoun, Billy McKinney and Rafael Ortega to minor league deals, and Sherman notes they checked in on Kole Calhoun as well. Calhoun and McKinney look like depth pieces, but Ortega is an interesting add. He had a 122 wRC+ for the Cubs over 330 plate appearances in 2021, and while it dropped back to 96 in 2022 he does look to be a possible option for the Yankees. As a left-handed pull hitter, he could benefit from playing regularly in Yankee Stadium as well, so a strong spring could see him force his way into the team’s plans at the big league level.

Yankees Notes: Stanton, Florial, Britton

By | at

The Yankees are expected to reinstate Giancarlo Stanton, who has been on the shelf since late July due to tendinitis in his left Achilles, prior to tomorrow’s series opener in Oakland. Stanton was on the field going through a full pre-game routine yesterday, per ESPN’s Marly Rivera (Twitter link with video). The Yankees already announced following last night’s game that outfielder Estevan Florial has been optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, which seems to further set the stage for Stanton’s return.

Stanton, 32, has had a productive season at the plate in terms of power output and run production, belting 24 homers and plating 61 runs through just 324 trips to the plate. After an excellent first two months at the plate — Stanton hit .285/.339/.523 through the end of May — he’s been more of a pure “three true outcomes” slugger in the summer months of the season.

Since the calendar flipped to June, a whopping 56% of Stanton’s hits have been home runs (13 of 23). He’s batting just .167 in 40 games since June 1, but he’s still walking at a strong 13.1% clip and obviously flexing his power. Exactly half of his plate appearances have ended in a strikeout, walk or home run in that time. Stanton’s .167/.277/.471 slash dating back to June has dropped his season-long line to .228/.309/.498. That’s still 28% better than league average, per both wRC+ and OPS+, but the Yankees and Stanton alike will surely be hoping for a more balanced set of results when he returns.

Stanton will return to the lineup at a time when the Yankees’ offense has been stumbling through one of its driest spells of the year. The Yanks are just 7-14 this month and have plated only 70 runs in those 21 contests — an average of 3.33 runs per game (all while allowing 89 runs in August). They’ve been held to four or fewer runs in 13 of their past 15 contests.

Florial’s return to the big leagues will prove quite brief. There was optimism among Yankee fans when he was promoted on the heels of a .286/.368/.490 showing in Scranton, but he wound up starting just three games, going 1-for-9 with four strikeouts in that tiny sample. The former top prospect, like many Yankee farmhands in recent years, has yet to receive an earnest audition at the MLB level, receiving just 50 plate appearances over the past three seasons (and hitting just .186/.302/.300 in those sparse opportunities).

Stanton isn’t the only veteran reinforcement on the horizon for the Yanks, it should be noted. Lefty Zack Britton, who has yet to pitch in 2022 while rehabbing from last year’s Tommy John surgery, is set to embark on a minor league rehab assignment today, tweets Meredith Marakovits of the YES Network.

The 34-year-old lefty has been a vital part of the Yankees’ late-inning relief corps when healthy, logging 123 2/3 innings of 2.69 ERA ball while brandishing one of the game’s most notoriously devastating sinkers. It’ll take a bit of time for Britton to build up to readiness for a big league return, of course, but the commencement of a rehab assignment means that both he and injured closer Clay Holmes could return to the bullpen in the near future. If Holmes is back to form after a brief trip to the injured list, the Yankees can deploy two of the game’s premier sinker/grounder specialists to help lock things down late in games.

Yankees Place Clay Holmes On 15-Day Injured List

By | at

The Yankees have placed closer Clay Holmes on the 15-day injured list due to back spasms, as one of a series of transactions.  Miguel Andujar and Tim Locastro were optioned to Triple-A, while Ron Marinaccio, Estevan Florial, and Oswaldo Cabrera were all called up from Triple-A.  (Florial and Cabrera’s promotions were reported earlier today.)

Holmes’ placement is retroactive to August 14, and he hasn’t pitched since August 12.  There was increasing expectation that Holmes would need an IL trip to fully recuperate from his back problem, though New York manager Aaron Boone told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand and other reporters that the team is hopeful Holmes only misses the 15-day minimum.

Since being acquired from the Pirates prior to the 2021 trade deadline, Holmes has been outstanding in the pinstripes, posting a 2.10 ERA over his 77 innings in New York.  This outstanding performance elevated Holmes to the closer’s job when Aroldis Chapman went on the IL himself earlier this season, and with Chapman struggling even before he got injured, the Yankees kept Holmes as the top ninth-inning choice even after Chapman’s return.

However, just as the Yankees have looked shaky over the last five weeks of play, Holmes has also come back to earth after his incredible start.  The righty has a 9.00 ERA over his last 12 games and 11 innings pitched, and he has blown four of his last five save chances.  As a result, it now appears quite possible that Chapman (who has pitched better since his return from the IL) will reclaim the closer’s job in Holmes’ absence, and perhaps for the remainder of the season.  The Yankees could also essentially use both pitchers as closers or set-up men depending on the situation, rather than have a strict order to their late-game plans.

Yankees To Recall Estevan Florial, Oswaldo Cabrera

By | at

The Yankees are set to call up outfielder Estevan Florial, as first reported by Bob Klapisch of the Newark Star-Ledger (Twitter link). New York will also promote infielder Oswaldo Cabrera for his Major League debut, Daniel Alvarez Montes of El Extra Base reports. Both players are already on the 40-man roster. The Yankees have yet to formally announce the pair of promotions or the corresponding moves that will accompany them, although Cabrera has confirmed his first call to the Show on his Instagram.

This is the second call to the Majors this year for the 24-year-old Florial and the third season in which he’s received some big league action. Despite already receiving several MLB opportunities, however, Florial has appeared in just 16 Major League games and taken 40 plate appearances as a member of the big league club, hitting just .206/.325/.353 in that time.

That lack of production, of course, have come with sparse playing time. Florial has never gotten a true look and regular playing time at the big league level, despite ranking among the game’s top 50 or so prospects from 2018-19. His stock has dimmed since that time — due in no small part to a tepid .218/.315/.404 slash in Triple-A last season. However, Florial is enjoying a vastly better run in his second Triple-A stint this year, batting .286/.368/.490 with 14 home runs, 26 doubles, a pair of triples and a hefty 32 stolen bases.

Florial’s huge 30.8% strikeout rate in Triple-A isn’t an improvement over last year’s 30.9% mark, so the lack of bat-to-ball skills are a clear concern (and another reason he’s perhaps not as highly touted as a few years ago). Nonetheless, with the Yankees stumbling through a dismal 3-12 stretch over the past couple weeks that includes just nine total runs over their past seven games, they’ll look to augment the lineup and get some fresh faces into the mix in hopes of turning things around.

In addition to Florial, the Yankees will give the 23-year-old Cabrera his first call to the Majors. A switch-hitter who’s seen time at second base, shortstop, third base and in the outfield corners this year (albeit just one game in left and one in right), Cabrera will give skipper Aaron Boone plenty of versatility. He’s batting .262/.340/.492 through 208 Triple-A plate appearances with eight homers, a dozen doubles, three triples and ten steals to go along with a 9.4% walk rate and 26.6% strikeout rate.

While neither Florial nor Cabrera is necessarily among the sport’s overall top-ranked prospects, they’re both well-regarded within the Yankees’ system. Baseball America ranks Florial as the team’s No. 10 prospect and Cabrera at No. 12, while MLB.com places them back-to-back at Nos. 14 (Cabrera) and 15 (Florial).

Yankees Place Tim Locastro On Injured List

By | at

The Yankees announced a few roster moves prior to today’s doubleheader. Outfielder Tim Locastro is going on the injured list with a left latissimus dorsi (back) strain. Right-handed pitcher Ron Marinaccio has been recalled to take his place on the active roster. Outfielder Estevan Florial will be the team’s 27th man for today’s twin bill.

The outfield mix in the Bronx is a bit crowded, with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks and Joey Gallo usually sharing the three spots on the grass as well as the designated hitter slot. As such, the speedy Locastro has been mostly coming off the bench for pinch running and defensive replacement duties. As such, he’s played 15 games this year but only made 15 plate appearances. He’s made the best of that time, hitting .231/.333/.462 for a wRC+ of 139, as well as swiping four bags.

Locastro was acquired from the Diamondbacks last year but then injured his ACL after just nine games with the Bombers. In the offseason, he was non-tendered but then re-signed after the lockout. Although the club hasn’t provided a timeline for his recovery, this injury will mark another frustrating step in his Yankees tenure.

Yankees Activate Giancarlo Stanton, Option Estevan Florial

By | at

The Yankees announced this afternoon they’ve reinstated designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton from the injured list. Outfielder Estevan Florial was optioned back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last night in a corresponding move.

Stanton went on the IL on May 17 with a quad strain but he’s back after a short-term absence. His return is a welcome development for a Yankee lineup that has since lost Luke Voit, as Stanton’s putting up customary strong production to start the year. The 31-year-old is hitting .282/.347/.534 with nine homers over 144 plate appearances.

Florial started the second game of yesterday’s doubleheader with Toronto, going 1-3 with a double. The 23-year-old is one of the more promising prospects in the Yankees system, but he’s only taken 81 career high minors plate appearances and could stand to pick up more developmental time, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams explored yesterday. With presumptive starting center fielder Aaron Hicks likely done for the season due to wrist surgery, Florial should have an opportunity to earn more extended MLB run if he shows well in the minors. For now, struggling veteran Brett Gardner looks like the favorite to assume the bulk of the playing time in center field.

Yankees Promote Estevan Florial; Aaron Hicks Expected To Miss Rest Of Season

By | at

Just under a week after the announcement that center fielder Aaron Hicks will undergo wrist surgery, Yankees skipper Aaron Boone today confirmed to reporters that the operation is now expected to put an end to Hicks’ 2021 season (Twitter link via the YES Network’s Jack Curry). That’s seemed possible, if not likely, since the time the surgery was announced, but the only prior indication on a timeline had been a “months-long” recovery period.

The news on Hicks comes less than an hour after the Yankees announced a series of roster moves. Corey Kluber and Luke Voit were placed on the injured list, as was expected following yesterday’s announcements on their own injuries. Coming up to the big league roster in their place are righty Albert Abreu and outfield prospect Estevan Florial.

With Hicks down for the season and Brett Gardner struggling mightily, there would appear to be a door open for Florial to claim some playing time. The 23-year-old has played 312 games in center field over his professional career and was at one point touted as the organization’s center fielder of the future. Florial was near-universally ranked among the game’s 50 best prospects prior to the 2018 season, though his stock has dipped since that time.

It’s also worth pointing out that while there’s an ostensible opportunity for Florial to seize a starting job now, he’s been struggling tremendously himself down in Triple-A. Florial hit .229/.308/.603 in nine Double-A games to begin his season, but he’s gone 6-for-34 with 11 punchouts in 40 plate appearances since moving up to Triple-A. The 17 games he’s played between Double-A and Triple-A in 2021 represent his only experience above A-ball, save for the single game he played for the Yankees at the MLB level last summer. Put more simply: there’s a very good chance he needs more development. Nevertheless, Boone indicated Florial will get the start in center for the second game of today’s twin bill.

Florial wasn’t recalled as the 27th man for that doubleheader — righty Nick Nelson has that designation — but it could still be a very brief stay for him in the Majors. Boone said that activating Giancarlo Stanton from the injured list tomorrow is “in play” as an option (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch), and the Yankees will need to make a corresponding move to get him on the roster. That doesn’t necessarily mean Florial’s stint will be a one-and-done showing, but it’s at least possible that’s the direction they go.

Whether he’s in the Majors or back in Scranton, Florial’s performance will bear monitoring in the weeks to come. With few other center field options on the roster, that’d be one obvious area for the Yankees to look to address via the trade market in the event that Florial’s struggles continue.

Report: No Untouchables In Yankees’ Farm System

By | at

The first-place Yankees are aiming for a championship this year, and it seems they’re prepared to pay steep prospect prices at the July 31 trade deadline in order to increase their chances. The team has no “untouchable” players in its farm system, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports.

No Yankees prospect has generated more hype lately than right-hander Deivi Garcia, whom they promoted to Triple-A ball last week. The 20-year-old Garcia is now the youngest player at the minors’ highest level, Davidoff notes. Garcia’s elevation to Scranton came in response to a great season-opening performance at Double-A Trenton, where he posted a 3.00 ERA/2.18 FIP with 14.49 K/9 against 4.41 BB/9 in 10 starts and 51 innings. Although he’s just 5-foot-9, Garcia’s tremendous early season showing helped earn him a 29th-place ranking in the midseason top 50 list ESPN’s Keith Law (subscription required) just released.

General manager Brian Cashman said last week Garcia could be a factor on the Yankees’ roster down the stretch, but he wouldn’t be off limits in a deal, Davidoff suggests. The goal would be to acquire a controllable rotation piece in any swap involving Garcia, it seems. On the other hand, the Yankees “certainly wouldn’t” trade Garcia for Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner or another rental, per Davidoff. The same obviously goes for Mets righty Zack Wheeler, as Andy Martino of SNY.tv relays, but it may be a different story for controllable fireballer Noah Syndergaard. The Yankees have shown interest in Syndergaard, reports Martino, who points out the Mets sent special assistant Omar Minaya to scout Garcia’s Triple-A debut Monday. With that said, there’s little optimism the crosstown rivals will come together on a trade this month, Martino adds on Twitter.

Meanwhile, outfielder Estevan Florial – the Yankees’ No. 1 prospect in the most recent team rankings at MLB.com, FanGraphs and Baseball America (subscription required) – would be movable “in the right deal,” Davidoff writes. Unlike Garcia, the 21-year-old Florial hasn’t enjoyed a banner 2019 season in the minors. Currently at the High-A level after fracturing his right wrist in the spring, Florial has hit .229/.282/.359 (91 wRC+) with four home runs in 142 plate appearances.

In fairness to Florial, the injury may have a role in his underwhelming production this year. Moreover, Florial entered the season as a consensus top 100 prospect, so it stands to reason he’s someone who would interest other teams in trade talks. The Yankees generally aren’t short on enticing minor leaguers, according to a rival talent evaluator who spoke with Davidoff.

“It’s a really good system,” the evaluator said. “They certainly have the pieces to be aggressive.”

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top