A common theme among the New York Yankees recent trades has been acquiring players with elite talent who, for whatever reason, have fallen out of favor with their clubs. New York’s front office has shown willingness to take on some risk with these types of guys rather than going after “sure things.” Aroldis Chapman, Aaron Hicks, Nathan Eovaldi, Didi Gregorius, and Dustin Ackley are all examples of this strategy over the last two years.
That’s why whenever there are rumors of discord between a player and team, my ears perk up a bit.