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New York Yankees Rumors: CC Sabathia And Michael Pineda Could Be Traded If The Yankees Are Not In Contention By August 1

By Phillip Dengler
Published on: 14:50 PST, Jul 16, 2016

With a below-average record of 44-46, the New York Yankees are in danger of failing to qualify for the 2016 MLB playoffs. They sit behind the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays in the very competitive AL East and are now 9.5 games out of first place. While they are only 5.5 games out of the second wild-card spot, they are behind six teams, which is going to make it extremely difficult to make the playoffs this season.

Since it is still only July 16, the Yankees still have time to turn things around. Regardless, it appears as though ownership may finally be ready to begin the rebuilding process. With a team filled with expensive former stars — Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and CC Sabathia, to name a few — that are now past their prime, the Yankees have to start thinking about the future. While it may be difficult for ownership and the fans to stop clinging to the remaining players from the magical 2009 playoff run that ended in a World Series victory against the Philadelphia Phillies, the organization has to finally move forward.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports, via MLB Trade Rumors, that the Yankees may be willing to deal a variety of veteran players if the team is not in contention by the August 1 trade deadline, and this includes starting pitchers CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, and Nathan Eovaldi. The list also includes relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman and outfielder Carlos Beltran.

“The Yankees will be willing to deal pending free agents Aroldis Chapman and Carlos Beltran if they’re not in serious contention for a playoff spot by the August 1 deadline, Rosenthal says. They do not want to trade Andrew Miller right now, however. It’s also possible they could deal starting pitchers like CC Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Pineda, but they are not in active discussions to sell right now and they could wait to deal members of that trio this offseason, since all are under control in 2017.”

Assuming the Yankees are not in contention for a playoff spot before the August 1 deadline, they really have to do everything that they can in order to make some moves. While CC Sabathia is not even close to the dominant pitcher that he once was, he is having a surprisingly solid season. He currently has an ERA of 3.94 and a record of 5-7. While the record is poor, it can be expected when pitching for a bad team.

Since pitching in the AL East is arguably one of the toughest challenges for a starting pitcher, Sabathia’s ERA proves that he can still help a playoff contender. Sabathia has not finished a season with an ERA under 4.0 since 2012, so there is a chance that he is finally over his injuries and off the field issues. No team is going to give the Yankees a top prospect for Sabathia, but he could bring them back a young player with potential.

At only 27 years old, Pineda was supposed to be the Yankees’ future ace. Injuries have derailed his career, and Pineda has never been able to become the pitcher that many expected him to turn into. With a record of 3-9 and an ERA of 5.56, Pineda is having the worst season of his career. While he was not great last year, he still finished with a record of 12-10 and an ERA of 4.37. Regardless, the potential is still there for Pineda, and he may just need a change of scenery. It is unknown what the Yankees could potentially get in return for him, but they should consider all potential offers.

Chapman remains one of the game’s best closers, but the Yankees are not ready to compete. Rarely does a team that is not in contention need a top closer, and Chapman could potentially bring back a top prospect. Whether or not the Yankees will be willing to trade him remains to be seen, but Rosenthal believes that they will.

With two weeks to go until the 2016 MLB trade deadline, rumors are swirling around the New York Yankees and the potential moves that they may make. If the team is not in contention by August 1, huge names including CC Sabathia, Aroldis Chapman, and Carlos Beltran could be moved.

[Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images]

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