Yankees Prospect Tops Names to Watch Before Winter Meetings

A top New York Yankees pitching prospect could prove to be a trade chip for the organization at the upcoming MLB Winter Meetings.

Aug 17, 2020; Bronx, New York, USA; A general view of rain falling on the New York Yankees logo on the first base dugout roof during a rain delay in the game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The MLB winter meetings are just over a week out (beginning on Dec. 7), and the New York Yankees could leverage their pitching prospects in a potential trade. Carlos Lagrange, a 22-year-old right-handed starter, may be the likeliest to headline such a deal.

"The Yankees have not been shy about selling high on their top pitching prospects in recent years, and with shortstop George Lombard Jr. almost certainly untouchable, it makes sense that teams would target one of Lagrange, Elmer Rodriguez or Bryce Cunningham as the centerpiece in a major trade," Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter speculated in his list of 10 prospects to watch ahead of the meetings.

Lagrange is ranked second among Yankees prospects behind only Lombard, and currently plays at the Double-A level for the Yankees' affiliate Somerset Patriots. Lagrange is 6-foot-7 and weighs 248 lbs. In 2025, Lagrange started in 23 games and finished the season with a 3.53 ERA.

Lagrange was signed by the Yankees organization for $10,000 in 2022 out of the Dominican Republic, and immediately impressed in the Dominican Summer League with high-velocity stuff reaching the upper 90s.

Yankees outfield prospect Spencer Jones is considered very much on the table for a potential trade, but the organization is likely to wait a while longer and see how Jones does in the spring. The Yankees just promoted Jones to their 40-man roster along with pitchers Elmer Rodriguez and Chase Hampton to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft.

The draft, which allows MLB teams to pull from one another's prospect pools for players who have not been promoted within five seasons of signing if they signed when they were 18 or under (or four seasons if they were 19 or older), will take place during the meetings as well.

Other Yankees to Watch at Winter Meetings

Notable Yankees prospects who are eligible for the draft include LHP Henry Lalane, LHP Brock Selvidge, RHP Brendan Beck, OF Jace Savina, 1B T.J. Rumfield and right-handed reliever Eric Reyzelman.

The draft is scheduled for Dec. 10, the final day of the winter meetings.

In a recent press appearance, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner spoke on the Yankees payroll expectations ahead of the meetings, but made it clear that the range would be fluid in case something catches their attention.

Dec 21, 2022; Bronx, New York, USA; Hal Steinbrenner during a press conference at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Alcheh-Imagn Images | Jessica Alcheh-Imagn Images

"We can talk before [Cashman] goes into [the] winter meetings about a range," Steinbrenner said, via ESPN. "But because it's a fluid situation, that range can go bye-bye in two seconds if there's a deal that arises that I feel would be very beneficial to some area of need that we have."

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