If the Yankees fail, this is how they’re going to screw it up

If the Juan Soto rumors just keep getting louder that the Yankees can’t take the outfielder over from the Nationals, it’s because they haven’t.

The Washington Nationals made it to All-Star Outfielder Juan Soto available in the stores. With the deadline only about 48 hours away, many teams have “reached out” but no team has emerged as a real front-runner for Soto’s services.

That New York Yankees are one of the teams that have expressed interest in acquiring Soto. While the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals are the favorites, the Yankees haven’t been left out of the discussion.

However, the Yankees missed out on trading for Cincinnati Reds pitcher Luis Castillo last week. The right-hander has a new home with the Seattle Mariners instead. Will the Americans make the same mistake again and miss Soto?

If the Yankees fail to trade for Juan Soto, here’s how they’ll screw up

The New York Yankees have one of the deepest farm systems in Major League Baseball. Along with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Texas Rangers, the Yankees are considered one of the few teams to have five or more prospects in the sport’s top 100.

If the Yankees don’t manage to acquire Juan Soto in time, it’s because they’re clinging too tightly to some of their cherished prospects. That’s why Luis Castillo doesn’t wear pinstripes now; GM Brian Cashman did not want to include shortstop prospect Anthony Volpe in a trade with the Reds.

Volpe is an enormous talent. But will he be as good as Juan Soto? If yes, how long will it take? Prospects are little more than that until they prove it at the highest level. While Volpe could be a fantastic shortstop for the Yankees over the next year or two, Soto would become a New York World Series favorite today.

Sometimes you have to sacrifice the future for the present in order to be successful. The New York Yankees could package Soto around Anthony Volpe, left-hander Ken Waldichuk, outfielder Jasson Dominguez and several other top prospects.

The Americans could still hold on to the highly respected shortstop prospect Oswald Peraza in order not to completely bleed the farm system dry. But if they really want Juan Soto, it will cost them Anthony Volpe and then some.