A quick update for some of the players that were traded last season

The Yankees parted ways with quite a few impactful players during their sell off at the trade deadline and in free agency in an attempt to decrease their payroll and get younger as they roll into the youth movement. Obviously, Brian Cashman since reacquired the traded Aroldis Chapman, but I will be providing you all with an update on the former Yankees who the team has seen depart over the last season.

 

Photo Via Outside Pitch

First up is former Yankee catcher Brian McCann. With the emergence of Gary Sanchez last season, the writing was on the wall for McCann.  His days as the everyday catcher for the Yankees were over.  He could have been moved to a DH/ backup catcher role but McCann was too valuable for that role and the Yankees figured they could get some more prospects with a trade.  The Yankees ended up acquiring Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman from the Houston Astros in the McCann trade.  McCann’s role is now a veteran leader for a young Houston team, similar to what it would have been with the Yankees.

Photo Credit: Bob Levey | Getty Images

McCann has opened the season hitting to a solid .313 average with two homers and eight RBIs.  His on-base-percentage is at .414 which is incredibly strong to start the year. Although McCann is off to a hot start with his new team, the Yankees still did what was necessary. Not only is Gary Sanchez the present and future but Austin Romine has shown he is more than capable than being a solid back up catcher for the Yanks.

Now let’s look at Carlos Beltran who was traded to the Texas Rangers during last season for a package headlined by Dillon Tate. After the season and the Rangers disappointment in the postseason Beltran was once again looking for a new team.  The Houston Astros offered him a $16 million contract for one season which seemed exactly what Beltran was looking for.  Beltran and McCann became teammates once again.

 

Photo Credit: Karen Warren | Houston Chronicle

Beltran has opened the season hitting .257 with two home runs and seven RBIs. These numbers aren’t too bad for a 40-year-old.  With the youth movement in full effect in the Bronx it was clear that the All-Star would be on the move.  Aaron Judge is a must watch player and Aaron Hicks has shown great improvement from last season, so the Yanks clearly made a great move by trading Beltran and getting something in return rather than letting him walk in free agency.

The next player that left more quietly than the rest was Ivan Nova.  Nova never quite settled in New York as the lights might have been to bright for him in the Bronx, or he didn’t work well with the coaches and just simply needed a change in scenery.  The Yanks gave up waiting on him and traded him to Pittsburgh for two minor leaguers that may not ever see the big leagues.  It was time for both sides to move on.

Photo Credit: Gene J. Puskar | AP

But hey, talk about a completely different player since being traded.  His ERA in 2016 for the Yanks was a high 4.90, but then in the 11 games for the Pirates his ERA was 3.06. He also threw three complete games, which matched his career mark previously when he went the distance three times for the Yankees in 2013. After shutting down the Yankees on Sunday, his ERA this season is down to 2.25.  I don’t blame the Yankees for parting ways with Nova because it was not working in the Bronx but the Pirates are the clear winners in this trade as they have seemed to turn him around.

The last major piece that is no longer with the Yanks is probably the best late-inning pitchers in baseball, Andrew Miller.  When Andrew Miller was traded to the Cleveland Indians it was officially rebuilding time.  The Yankees got Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, Ben Heller, and J.P. Feyereisen which was a huge return and worth it for the long run.

 

Photo Credit: Chris Petersen | Getty Images

There has been one huge difference with Miller on the Yankees and on the Indians.  And that is ... his beard.  That’s it, he is a special player that is an incredible talent in the back end of a bullpen.  Watching him in the postseason was amazing as Miller simply dominated and was one game away from getting a ring. The Indians relied on him everyday for multiple innings in the World Series which he hasn’t done in the past but still dominated.  This season he has pitched 8.1 innings and has not allowed a run yet.  Miller also has nine strikeouts averaging over one strikeout per inning.  We should all miss Miller because we may never see someone as good and consistent as him, but the Yankees made the right move here.

Though many of the players that the Yankees traded last season are having success with their new ball clubs, the Yankees are now able to boast one of the league’s strongest farm systems as a result of these moves. Their trade partners may be winning these deals in the short term, but the Yankees can hope that these moves bring them championships down the road.

Article by: Ben Bell

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