clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Yankees trade rumors: New York won’t part with Gleyber Torres or Clint Frazier for Jose Quintana

Yankees have checked in on Quintana, but won’t part with prospects necessary to swing a trade.

MLB: Spring Training-Chicago Cubs at Colorado Rockies Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Rumors have circulated that the Yankees were interested in potentially trading for Chicago White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana. The deal would make sense for both sides, as the Yankees need a starter and the White Sox are in the midst of rebuilding their team. However, according to Jon Heyman, the Yankees refuse to part with with their top prospects in any deal for Quintana.

Gleyber Torres and Clint Frazier came over mid-season in the Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller trades, respectively, and immediately changed the Yankees’ farm system into one of the best in the game. The shortstop and outfielder are both very highly touted, providing the Yankees with two Top 100 prospects at the top of their system.

Heyman says the Yankees wouldn’t give up either one for Quintana, which would make a trade very unlikely. Chicago could likely find a team willing to part with one of their top prospects in order to deal Quintana, despite the fact that the Yankees do have plenty of other high quality prospects they could offer in a trade. Still, it probably wouldn’t be enough.

The Yankees have definitely seemed more interested in stockpiling talent lately rather than trading it away, and this is in line with that philosophy. However, not all of the prospects they have will make it as successful big leaguers. The thing to do would be to make intelligent decisions on which players they can part with in order to supplement weaknesses in their team. The starting rotation is easily the most glaring weakness for the 2017 Yankees and beyond.

Is fixing that problem with Quintana worth parting with Torres or Frazier? That’s up for the Yankees to decide. Clearly their decision right now is no if Heyman is to be believed. Hopefully they are right about that. Brian Cashman has had a lot of success in recent years of not trading prospects that the Yankees live to regret parting with. Torres and Frazier seem to be very good and potentially worth holding onto over trading away before they make it to the big leagues. Only time will tell.