Only three weeks into the offseason, the Yankees have made their first significant move. Yesterday evening the Yankees shipped three prospects to the Mariners for the man they call Big Maple. Justus Sheffield, Erik Swanson, and Dom Thompson-Williams went to Seattle for left-hander James Paxton. A big deal, this is. Here are some thoughts.
1. Did the Yankees take on risk with this trade? Of course they did. Every trade involves taking on some risk. The Yankees got the less risky end of this trade though. Yes, Paxton carries more risk than the typical 30-year-old because he has an injury history, but he’s still established as a comfortably above-average big league starter.