This off-season, the New York Yankees have devoted more focus on trade deals instead of free agency acquisition. Firstly, the team bolstered its outfield depth by trading Juan Soto, Trent Grisham, and Alex Verdugo from their respective teams. Having said that, the club gave away a lot of pitching arms in the process.
While the Yankees offloaded four major league-ready pitchers for Soto and Grisham, the team had to part with three more pitchers to land Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox. Therefore, to further address the depleting pitching depth, the Yanks have resorted to yet another trade deal, but this time with the Cleveland Guardians.
Yankees Land RHP Cody Morris From Guardians For Estevan Florial
In a surprising move, the New York Yankees have decided to part ways with outfielder Estevan Florial, sending him to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for promising right-handed pitcher Cody Morris. Florial joined forces with NYY back in 2015 and was rated as the franchise’s top prospect. However, the outfielder couldn’t really live up to the hype. He made his major league debut in 2020 but failed to leave a profound impact. Moreover, amid a complex contract situation, Estevan played 19 games in 2023, wherein he hit .230 and drove five runs and eight RBIs. Having said that, the Yanks perhaps have an overflowing outfield depth. And that encouraged them to use Florial as a trade chip.
In exchange for Estevan Florial, the New York Yankees landed right-handed starting pitcher Cody Morris from Guardians. After the franchise’s highly anticipated Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes fell apart, they needed rotational depth. Thus, Morris emerged as a perfect fit. The 27-year-old came out of the bullpen in 2023 and posted a 6.75 ERA across eight innings pitched. Having said that, Morris has a career ERA of 3.41 across 13 games, which included five starts. The pitcher has shown potential in the minors. And could find opportunities to showcase his talent and contribute to the Yanks’ pitching success at the major league level next season. Overall, the outcome of this trade will ultimately be judged not only by the immediate impact on both teams but also by the long-term contributions these players make to their respective franchises.
Yanks Still Eyeing A Couple Of Pitching Reinforcements!
Having said that, the trade of Cody Morris won’t stop the New York Yankees from seeking more arms this off-season. Morris is not yet a finished product as per the franchise’s standards. Thus, the team needed an experienced arm to fit into the 2024 season rotation. Moreover, rumors have it that the Yanks have sought a reunion with ex-Yankee pitcher and current World Series champion Jordan Montgomery.
Montgomery was traded back in 2022, citing unreadiness when it comes to pitching in the postseason. Besides, the Yankees are also mulling re-signing Frankie Montas into a short-term deal and moving him to the bullpen to avert injury risks. However, both reunions seem a little far-fetched for now. It would be tough to convince Montgomery to dump his champion team, Texas Rangers, to rejoin forces with his ex-team, which is currently struggling to stay competitive.