Top Yankees Prospect May Be Used As 'Trade Bait' This Offseason

The New York Yankees could consider one of their brightest prospects to bolster their current roster.

Jun 18, 2018; Washington, DC, USA; New York Yankees players caps and gloves rest in the dugout against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees have what's sure to be an extremely eventful offseason ahead of them.

While the front office appears to have allocated a lot of money to spend on free agency, much of that will (hopefully) go to slugger Juan Soto. But even if the Yankees do re-sign Soto, there are other weaknesses on the roster that need addressing.

However, New York won't have much free agency money left over in that situation, which could force them to improve their roster via trade.

And in a November 28 article, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter conveyed that prospect Roderick Arias could be used as "trade bait" to bolster the Yankees roster.

"It was a down year for the New York Yankees farm system, but there is still a lot of high-ceiling talent in the pipeline, and shortstop Roderick Arias has the tools to be a consensus Top 100 prospect in the near future," Reuter wrote.

In the 2nd installment of Bronx Bound, we highlight Roderick Arias, our No. 3 ranked prospect.

Watch now 👉 https://t.co/kJ1bFWuHo8 pic.twitter.com/ccMrenebUE

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 9, 2024

"The 20-year-old signed for $4 million as part of the 2022 international class, and he possesses an intriguing mix of power, speed and defensive chops that should allow him to stick at shortstop, including a top-of-the-scale arm.

"With the Yankees in win-now mode and Anthony Volpe penciled in at shortstop for the foreseeable future, Arias could be used as a trade chip this winter if the right opportunity comes along," he continued.

Arias is currently the No. 4 overall prospect in the Yankees' farm system, according to MLB.com.

While the Yankees might be reluctant to part ways with such a young and promising prospect, it could make sense for them to trade him away if doing so can bolster their chances of winning a World Series in 2025.