3 Yankees who aren’t on the trade block, but should be

1. Clarke Schmidt

Cashman drew a lot of criticism from Yankee fans when he dealt quality starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery ahead of last year’s trade deadline. Ironically, doubling down on that philosophy this season could be a shrewd move by the front office.

Schmidt has been one of the team’s most reliable starting pitchers this year, but he only profiles as a middle-of-the-rotation arm. His current ERA of 4.31 likely represents the best of what teams can expect from the 27-year-old moving forward. In other words, championship-level teams should look elsewhere for above-average starting pitchers.

Opposing teams might be talked into the narrative that Schmidt’s emerging cutter changes his upside as a starter. That’s certainly the story the Yankees are spinning at the moment. Cashman and his staff deserve a lot of credit if that story has been planted to boost Schmidt’s trade value.

The Yankees aren’t going to get a king’s ransom in a potential Schmidt trade, but they could get another Harrison Bader-quality player without the health concerns. That kind of return would represent a clear win for New York.