NY Yankees Trade Talk: 6 Aces Manny Banuelos Could Bring Back in a Deal

Merely implying that the New York Yankees should consider trading Manny Banuelos, the "crown jewel" of their farm system, gets some fans foaming at the mouth and fired up like a rabid dog.

So please, roll your chair back from your monitor, wipe your mouth, take a deep breath and count to 10.

Better? Good.

On Friday, we looked at the past 11 years of Yankees prospects, the many who were considered to be "sure things"—but ended up being anything but that—and how trading prospects before they reach the majors, while their perceived value is still high, is sometimes the smartest thing a team can do.

Take the trade this weekend between the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds, one that saw 24-year-old Padres ace Mat Latos sent to the Reds for Edinson Volquez and a package of prospects—including two of their best in Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal.

To get quality starting pitching via trade, you have to be willing to trade quality in return.

Or at least trade what is perceived to be quality in return.

So while Brian Cashman has remained steadfast in his stance that he has no interest in moving any of his most ballyhooed prospects—Banuelos included—you can never say never.

Lets take a look at who the Yankees may be able to target should they decide that they absolutely must have another front-of-the-rotation starter heading into 2012.

Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants

Yes, Matt Cain is not the ace for his current team, the San Francisco Giants.

That being said, Matt Cain would be the ace on roughly half of the teams in major league baseball, if not more.

Cain, 27, is coming off his fifth consecutive season with over 200 innings pitched.

Over the past three seasons, Cain has posted a record of 39-30 with a 2.97 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 527 strikeouts over 662.2 innings pitched.

On the Yankees, Cain would slide in behind CC Sabathia as the clear number two starter.

While Cain is slotted to become a free agent after the 2012 season and the Giants have expressed interest in re-signing him to a long-term deal, chances are that he will receive offers well over $100 million once he hits the open market. That price may be too expensive for the Giants, considering that the man they consider their ace will be hitting free agency after the 2013 season.

Giants GM Brian Sabean may ultimately have to decide between which star pitcher he wants to retain, as he likely can only afford to keep one between Cain and the next man we'll look at.

Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants

Like Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum is a 27-year-old right-handed starter for the San Francisco Giants who will command a huge salary when he hits the open market following the 2013 season.

With two Cy Young awards under his belt already, Lincecum is coming off his fourth consecutive season of at least 200 innings pitched.

Over the past three years, Lincecum's numbers are even more impressive than Cain's: a 44-31 record with a 2.87 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 712 strikeouts over 654.2 innings pitched.

As we discussed with Cain, the Giants are likely only going to be able to afford to keep one of their two star pitchers, with Cain being the less expensive of the two.

Lincecum is likely to receive in excess of $20 million through salary arbitration in 2012 and 2013, and could easily command a contract rivaling that which the Yankees gave to CC Sabathia in 2009 once he reaches the open market.

Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies

Currently the number three starter for the Philadelphia Phillies, 27-year-old left-handed starter Cole Hamels is entering the last year of his contract and is set to become a free agent following the 2012 season.

Hamels, coming off a 2011 season that saw him throw over 200 innings for the third time in the past four years, has maintained throughout the offseason that his preference is to remain with the Phillies:

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"You don't really think the grass is greener on the other side...This is the organization I've come up with. We're winning. Why would you ever want to leave? You want to be on a winning team, and the team wants to win."

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However, the Phillies have nearly $90 million committed to five players in 2013—Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Ryan Howard, Jonathan Papelbon and Chase Utley. So whether or not they would be willing—or able—to pay Hamels what he is worth while filling out a 25-man roster with quality players is a legitimate question to ask.

Philadelphia may find themselves in a better situation going forward by trading the talented lefty for young players under team control for the foreseeable future, rather than risk the chance that they cannot fit Hamels into their budget and watch him walk away for nothing following the 2012 season.

Gio Gonzalez, Oakland Athletics

The ace of the Oakland Athletics pitching staff, 26-year-old left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez has been one of the hottest names on the trade market throughout the offseason.

For the Yankees, they have had interest in Gonzalez going back to the 2011 trade deadline when it was reported that they were prepared to "pay big" to acquire his services.

Paying big would undoubtedly include Manny Banuelos.

Since truly breaking onto the scene in 2010, Gonzalez has been solid, posting a record of 31-21 with a 3.17 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 368 strikeouts over 402.2 innings pitched.

Unlike some of the others we have touched upon, Gonzalez is under team control for a few more seasons, so the A's do not have the specter of free agency looming over their heads. That being said, the A's are clearly rebuilding and moving Gonzalez could bring back enough of a return to give them some legitimate pieces to build around.

Zack Greinke, Milwaukee Brewers

Formerly the ace of the Kansas City Royals, 28-year-old right-handed starter Zack Greinke spent 2011 as the number three starter for the Milwaukee Brewers, behind ace Yovani Gallardo and Shawn Marcum.

When the Royals were shopping Greinke around the league, the righty told Kansas City that he would be open to playing with the Yankees, but the Yankees had reservations about bringing him to New York.

Winner of the 2009 AL Cy Young award, Greinke posted a record of 16-6 with a 3.83 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 201 strikeouts over 171.2 innings pitched for the Brewers in 2011.

While the Brewers would like to re-sign both Greinke and Marcum to long-term deals, they could find themselves in the same boat as the San Francisco Giants, having to choose between keeping one or the other.

Dan Haren, Anaheim Angels

Number two for the Anaheim Angels behind ace Jered Weaver, 31-year-old right-handed starter Dan Haren has been excellent for Anaheim since being acquired during the season in 2010.

Since joining the Halos, Haren has posted a record of 21-14 with a 3.09 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 267 strikeouts over 332.1 innings pitched.

With their recent signing of Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson to huge contracts that eat up a large chunk of their payroll, one has to wonder whether the Angels will be willing to pick up the $15.5 million option they hold on Haren for the 2013 season.

Final Thoughts

Many were expecting to see Felix Hernandez on this list, but King Felix is not getting dealt by the Seattle Mariners. They have him signed to a team-friendly deal for the next few seasons and have no reason to consider moving him, especially when he is one of the few players that they have to motivate people to come to the park and watch him pitch live.

While George Steinbrenner has passed on, the mission statement for the Yankees has not changed. They are expected to contend for the World Series each and every season and anything less than a championship is deemed unacceptable.

Brian Cashman knows this and he knows that his starting rotation, as presently constituted, is likely not good enough to bring another World Series title to the Bronx.

Thus, nobody should be surprised if Cashman decides to go hard after one of these names, using Banuelos as the centerpiece of a deal.

Should any or all of these pitchers become available, expect Brian Cashman to be one of the first to inquire.