A year ago at the nonwaiver trade deadline, the Yankees began dismantling an aging, overpaid and underproductive roster in favor of a rebuilding program that was expected to take at least two years.
They traded away closer Aroldis Chapman, the setup man Andrew Miller, designated hitter Carlos Beltran and starting pitcher Ivan Nova for a bushel of prospects. Soon, they would say goodbye to Alex Rodriguez and relegate the veteran Brian McCann to the role of backup catcher.
In their place were fresh faces such as Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge, Tyler Austin and Luis Severino.