In a move that came out of left field (or at least down the third base line), the Yankees traded Gary Sánchez and Gio Urshela to the Twins for Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Ben Rortvedt. This move has far-flung implications for the Yankees’ current roster construction, payroll situation, and prospect pipeline. With that in mind, let’s break down where they stand and what they still have left to do before the season starts.
Roster Implications
With Sánchez and Urshela off to Minnesota, the Yankees created vacancies at catcher and third base. Donaldson immediately fills the need at the hot corner as the presumed starting third baseman, though it should be noted that Donaldson took roughly a quarter of his PAs at DH last season.