Major League Baseball

Yankees Made Starlin Castro Available This Offseason

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:12 p.m. ET

Fansided, Kevin Haswell/FanSided via Call to the Pen

Along with some of their older veterans, the New York Yankees also put Starlin Castro on the trade block this offseason, but failed to find much interest.

The New York Yankees reportedly made teams aware that infielder Starlin Castro was available for trade this winter. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees have had Castro available all offseason, without any takers at this point. The report also mentioned that the Yankees have made Brett Gardner and Chase Headley available as well. For the 2017 season, it seems the Yankees are out with the old and in with the new.

Castro, 26, had a fairly good season with the Yankees in 2016. In 610 plate appearances, Castro hit .270/.300/.433 with 21 home runs and 71 RBI. In the 153 games he played last season, Castro played all but three of them at second base. The Yankees played Didi Gregorius most of the time at shortshop, while Castro started 143 games at second. The three-time All-Star played most of career at shortstop before shifting to second base in his last season with the Chicago Cubs in 2015.

The Yankees have a plethora of young talent in the infield for the upcoming season and near future. Two of their top prospects in the organization, Gleyber Torres and Jorge Mateo, both play the middle infield and could miss out on potential playing time if the Yankees are forced to keep Castro. Torres, 20, is currently baseball’s #3-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline and was acquired by the Yankees in the trade that sent Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs last season. Mateo, 21, is ranked #47 overall by MLB Pipeline and started playing more second base last year. He has attracted comparisons to Jose Reyes with his speed and contact ability.

Chase Headley and Brett Gardner are victims of the young talent too. After an above average 2016 season, there may no longer be room for both of them at some point in 2017. Outfielder Clint Frazier, obtained in the Andrew Miller trade with Cleveland, is another Yankees top prospect.

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The Yankees infield is stacked for years to come and it is time that they clear space for their up-and-coming talent. Mateo and Torres aren’t far out and Castro is just taking up space on the roster. The Yankees may be able to get a decent return for Castro, considering he is a middle infielder that hit 20-plus home runs last year. And at age 26, Castro still has a lot left in the tank for another team. He has minus defense but is still able to get the job done at second. Castro is still a great player but there is not a fit for him on the Yankees roster in the long term.