Attack of the unheralded and undervalued Yankee breakout prospects

Have you heard about the tidal wave of under-appreciated Yankee prospects, soon to overwhelm the Gulf of America coastline?

With respect to fellow bloggers, whom I read faithfully, everywhere across Tampa, it's raining potential breakout Yankee prospects. These are the young - (twentysomething, anyway) - lug nuts who, if they hit .350 in April or throw a shutout in May, will abruptly vault onto the Top 20 Prospect pig lists, to be endlessly hyped by us, the hyperest of  hypers.

I believe that's why the Yankees face their current crisis.

Every winter and July 31 deadline, they trade multi-prospect packages for former all-stars, who have overstayed their welcomes in places like Miami, Colorado or Pittsburgh. In the 2020s, the front office came to realize that, unless a traded player becomes a major star, it will pay no price for dealing away young talent.

When all is said and done, the ever-shrinking platoon of Gammonites - whittled to a handful by the media's trillionaire oligarchs - will not squawk about a JP Sears, a Greg Wissert, a Thairo Estrada, a Carlos Narvaez, or anybody else who goes elsewhere and becomes a legitimate MLB player. 

Last month, Brian Cashman dealt four no-name prospects for Ryan Weathers. There was no outcry, no questioning of the price tag. In his early years as GM, Cashman notably avoided such deals, fearing a career-killing misstep. He'd never allow ex-Yanks to go to the Mets or Redsocks. Now, it happens regularly. And Cashman knows: When the Yankees trade another bundle, there'll always a new group to fill the Top 20 list. The "potential breakouts."    

But but BUT... the Yankees have a problem. By hyping one or two prospects relentlessly, they annually paint themselves into a corner. They cannot trade their Number One prospect without blowback. They're stuck with him. Anthony Volpe can have three rotten years, but he's still their golden boy. Look at this week's reaction to the idea that Jasson Dominguez - the Martian - might be ticketed to Scranton. The fans have waited seven years for him. Now, traded for a bullpen cog? Say it ain't so.

I believe the Yankees are one or two players shy of taking the AL East. You see the infield, the rotation, the bullpen. There is no free agent out there. And having cratered their farm system, they have only their top prospects to deal. The thing about "potential breakout" prospects - they're always a month away.

Wait... The Dow is over 50,000 right now. The S&P at almost 7,000, and the Nasdaq smashing records. THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT.