The New York Yankees traded their former #1 prospect Estevan Florial to the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday. In exchange, they received right-handed reliever Cody Morris.
Yankees Trade Estevan Florial to Guardians
The 26-year-old Florial originally signed with the Yankees in 2014, but after failing to provide a birth certificate, he had to wait until re-signing in 2015. After that, he quickly became a top prospect in the Yankees’ farm system. Florial appeared to be on the cusp of his major league debut until 2018, when injuries led to long delays in his development as a player. Despite this, he was rated the team’s top prospect in 2019. He finally made his big league debut on August 28, 2020. However, the Yankees roster was regularly crowded with outfielders over the next few years, and he was mostly relegated to the minors.
In 2023, Florial made the Opening Day roster, but the team quickly sent him down. He tore it up in Triple-A, batting .284 with 28 homers, 79 RBI, 66 walks, and 25 steals. Once New York fell out of postseason contention, he got his longest opportunity yet in the majors, sticking around until the season’s end. Across four seasons with the Yankees, Florial appeared in only 48 total major games. He has hit .209 with one home run, 11 RBI, and a .609 OPS. If he gets more playing time in Cleveland, Florial may be able to fulfill more of his potential. He never got a full chance to thrive in New York despite all the Yankees’ injury woes.
Morris is Bronx Bound
Heading to the Yankees in the deal is Cody Morris, who shows some promise as a middle reliever. Originally drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2015, then again by Cleveland in 2018, he made his Guardians debut in 2022. The 27-year-old has seen limited action in the majors, only appearing in 13 games across two seasons. Still, this bit of experience could give him an edge in making the Opening Day roster.
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