Yankees trade former top prospect

BRONX, N.Y. (WLNE) – The New York Yankees announced a trade this afternoon, sending outfielder Estevan Florial to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for relief pitcher Cody Morris.

Florial, 26, had a career year offensively with AAA Scranton, totaling 28 home runs and 25 steals in 101 games, but hit just .230 with a 76 OPS+ over 19 games for the Yankees in 2023.

Morris, 27, posted a 3.41 ERA in 31.2 innings pitched for the Guardians over the past two seasons, appearing exclusively out of Cleveland’s bullpen in 2023. 

Florial ranked as the Yankees top prospect as recently as 2019, according to MLB Pipeline, but fell out of favor in New York’s outfield picture following 48 uninspiring games at the major-league level over the past four seasons.