On Tuesday, the New York Yankees completed a trade sending former top prospect Estevan Florial to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for right-hander Cody Morris.
Florial, 26, joined the Yankees organization in 2015 and was ranked as their top prospect by MLB.com in 2019.
His ranking subsequently dropped to sixth in 2020, 10th in 2021, and 30th in 2022. Since making his Major League debut in August 2020, Florial has appeared in 48 games over four seasons, batting .209 with 1 home run, 11 RBIs, and 6 stolen bases.
During the current season, Florial played 19 games for the Yankees, hitting .230 with eight RBIs and three stolen bases. His performance at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre was more robust, where he posted a .284 batting average with 28 home runs, 79 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases across 101 games.
Estevan Florial (Credits: MLB)
Meanwhile, Cody Morris, 27, made his Major League debut with the Guardians in September 2022. He recorded a 6.75 ERA in six appearances, striking out nine batters and issuing six walks over eight innings.
Morris showcased an average fastball velocity of 95.2 mph in the majors, complemented by a cutter, curveball, and changeup.
In the minors this season, Morris accumulated a 3.23 ERA through four starts and 17 relief outings split between Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Akron. He struck out 56 hitters and walked 27 across 39 innings of work.
The Yankees’ decision to trade Florial was influenced by their surplus of outfielders following acquisitions such as Juan Soto and Trent Grisham from the San Diego Padres, along with Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox.
As part of the trade for Soto, New York also sent right-handers Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez, Drew Thorpe, and catcher Kyle Higashioka to San Diego.
