[ad_1]
Even after sweeping their rivals Red Sox this week, the New York Yankees start on uneven bases this season. They are 8-9 with a plus-20 differential and have lost the home series against the Orioles, Tigers and White Sox. Ouch. This is the first time since 1982 that the Yankees have lost their first three home series.
The 2016 Yankees have also started slowly, dropping 10 of their first 17 games and not throwing their heads above .500 until August 10th. As a result, the Yankees did something that they had not done for three decades: they sold at the trading deadline. Carlos Beltran, Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Ivan Nova were shipped.
The Chapman trade has already paid off. This transaction allowed Yankees' indoor rider Gleyber Torres to finish third in last year's rookie of the year and looks like a long-time goalie. Dillon Tate, the Beltran trade star, was sent to the Orioles for Zack Britton last summer, so the trade also had an impact.
It's only recently that the Yankees have begun to take advantage of Miller's trade production. As a reminder, the Yankees sent Miller to the Indians for four prospects by the end of 2016:
Frazier and Sheffield were two of the best hopefuls of baseball at the time and they were the two headliners of the area. Following the deal, managing director Brian Cashman joked that he "needed two first twins" to exchange Miller, which meant he wanted two better prospects, otherwise the Yankees would keep it. He received two best hopes at Frazier and Sheffield.
In 2017 and 2018, Frazier briefly worked with the Yankees, but his injuries (including a concussion) limited his time. Giancarlo Stanton's biceps injury opened the door for Frazier's return to the major leagues this year and he's taking full advantage of it with a .333 / .347 / .622 streak at the start. Frazier had a home run on Tuesday and three hits on Wednesday as the Yankees swept two Red Sox games.
"I'm trying to live in my shoes now and not too far," Frazier told reporters, including Erik Boland's Newsday, after Wednesday's victory. "It's difficult because obviously I want to stay here and I think I deserve to be here. I mean, the numbers speak for themselves. I know it's a small sample, but I feel good here. I'm just happy to get an opportunity and we won two games in a row. "
Sheffield, meanwhile, made his MLB debut as a September player with the Yankees last season, scoring three points in 2 1/3. Not a good start, but it does not matter. It happens. Sheffield is not the first player to start his career with three bad innings and he will not be the last.
During the winter, the Yankees decided that Sheffield was very useful to them as an exchange chip. He was therefore sent to the Mariners at the head of the contract with James Paxton. (Erik Swanson, another pitcher in this business, had initially gone to New York in the contract with Beltran to the end of 2016). Paxton pulled 12 shots on goal Tuesday night.
"It was a good start for me, just to put myself in the shoes and show me that I could be here and do that," Paxton said at the end of the match. "It was awesome and special."
Heller spent some time with the Yankees in 2016 and 2017 before cutting his elbow during his training last spring. He is currently in rehab after the operation of Tommy John. Feyereisen is in Triple-A and a phone call from the big leagues. Heller and Feyereisen were not unimportant the third and fourth pieces of Miller's trade.
Obviously, Frazier and Sheffield were the headliners. The Yankees traded Sheffield against Paxton, which is essentially the best scenario, and now Frazier is helping cover the wounds. Even when Stanton returns, fraud will be available for Frazier because Aaron Hicks and Greg Bird will not be here in a few weeks.
When the Yankees decided to sell by the end of 2016, they did so knowing that it could be years before these transactions had a significant impact on their list. This impact began to happen last year with Torres. At the beginning of this year, Frazier seems to be establishing himself as an everyday player, and the fallout from Miller's trade brought Paxton to New York.
Ironically, the Yankees beat Miller and the Indians during the ALDS 2017, even though this did not warrant the trade. He would always arrive at Frazier and Sheffield and, to a lesser extent, at Heller and Feyereisen. As of 2016-18, the trade had yielded little for New York. Now, in 2019, they are starting to make an impact, and this is not too early considering their injuries.
[ad_2]
Source link