The New York Yankees announced that they had traded outfielder Estevan Florial to the Cleveland Guardians. In exchange, the Yankees will land right-hand pitcher Cody Morris.
The move sees the Yankees parting ways with a player that was once considered their top prospect. Florial was ranked the best player in the Yankees’ farming system in 2019 but failed to live up to the expectations since making his MLB debut in 2020.
Florial played only 48 games with the Yankees in the majors. This included 19 games in 2023, during which he had a .230 batting average with eight RBIs and three steals.
The 26-year-old player fared way better with Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Florial played in 101 games with Scranton last season and batted .284 with 28 home runs while adding 79 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.
Morris, on the other hand, has played 13 games with five starts since making his majors debut with the Guardians in 2022. He has a 1-2 record with a 3.41 ERA and 32 strikeouts.
The trade gives the Yankees another arm in their bullpen, while Morris can also be plugged into the team’s rotation if needed. The Guardians, on the other hand, get a talented player in Florial and will hope they can provide him with an environment that will help him live up to his potential.
