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MLB Trade Deadline: 5 young players the Yankees could trade for an ace

By Joshua Sadlock

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 18: Clint Frazier #77 of the New York Yankees follows through on his grounder hit in an MLB baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 18, 2019 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Yankees lost 2-1. Teams wore camouflage caps and accessories to honor the military today for Armed Forces Day. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 18: Clint Frazier #77 of the New York Yankees follows through on his grounder hit in an MLB baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 18, 2019 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Yankees lost 2-1. Teams wore camouflage caps and accessories to honor the military today for Armed Forces Day. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FLORIDA – MARCH 06: Estevan Floridal #92 of the New York Yankees takes batting practice before the Grapefruit League spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Steinbrenner Field on March 06, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA – MARCH 06: Estevan Floridal #92 of the New York Yankees takes batting practice before the Grapefruit League spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Steinbrenner Field on March 06, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

2. Estevan Florial

After a bit of confusion over his real identity and age, the Yankees were able to sign Estevan Florial on the cheap out of the Dominican Republic in 2015. He had originally been viewed as one of the top international prospects in the 2014 class but was forced to sit out a year after attempting to use a fake name. The Yankees were able to scoop him up for a mere $200,000 signing bonus.

After the delay in signing a professional contract, Florial has made up for lost time and continues to show off all of the raw tools that made him such an intriguing prospect. He hit .298/.372/.479 with 13 home runs and 23 stolen bases in 2017, which was his first full professional season. Florial has been dealing with injuries the past two seasons — a broken hand last year and a broken wrist in Spring Training this year. The missed time has kept him from reaching Double-A, although that should be coming soon.

Florial is reminiscent of former Yankees great Alfonso Soriano in that he is an extremely raw, aggressive but powerful hitter with blazing speed. Like Soriano, he projects to be a 30-30 threat if he can reach his full potential. For that to happen, he will need to develop a better control of the strike zone. Florial has struck out 443 times since signing and has walked only 168 times.

The 21-year-old is the best prospect in the Yankees system and ranks among MLB’s top 50. He stands out for his raw power, speed and throwing arm. If he can hone his approach at the plate, Florial can easily mature into an All-Star. There is also still some projectability to his 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame that should intrigue potential trade partners.

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