The 3 Most Important Prospects for the New York Yankees to Keep This Winter

A highly touted prospect can bring plenty of hope. A young farmhand makes the future appear bright, regardless of how far down the line their big league ETA is. They can also be used as trade bait, a way to immediately improve a major league roster.

It is definitely risky. Does a team hold on to their prospects in hopes they will one day reach their projected potential, or do they opt for the sure-fire, established big league player right away?

It is hard resist dealing away the youngsters. The New York Yankees have been struggling with youth for a while now. They were second-oldest team in baseball last year and could really use some fresh blood.

These are the prospects they need to hang on to this winter.

A dominant lefty out of the bullpen, Lindgren was the 55th overall pick in the 2014 MLB draft by the Yankees.

After putting up eye-popping numbers at Mississippi State University, he went on to pitch at four different levels in his first year of pro ball, going as high as Double-A Trenton. He posted a 2.16 ERA and a 17.3 K/9 ratio while not allowing a home run all season. He also struck out 48 batters in 25 innings pitched.

Lindgren's speedy fastball and deadly slider make him a power threat in the late innings, so much so that he could see time in the majors as soon as 2015. In the grand scheme of things, a relief prospect, even one throwing from the left side, probably will not fetch a return equal to what Lindgren is actually worth.

It is in the Yankees' best interest to hang on to the 21-year-old.

Refsnyder soared through the Yankees farm system last year, turning enough heads in the process that he is very likely to be given a shot to be New York's starting second baseman in 2015.

The 23-year-old raked in the minors, batting .318 with 38 doubles, 14 home runs and 63 RBI for the Double-A Trenton Thunder and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders last season. He also added nine steals and an .884 OPS to that stat line.

Fans desperately wanted to see Refsnyder in pinstripes last season after watching Brian Roberts, Kelly Johnson and Stephen Drew struggle at second. In the 2015, they might get their wish.

Refsnyder provides a cheap option at the position. Instead of spending big on a free agent or over-the-hill veteran, the Yanks would be smart to give Refsnyder a chance. If he fails, the versatile Martin Prado is always an option.

Severino is undoubtedly the Yankees top prospect right now.

He was electric last year, forcing the Yankees to promote him two different times after he started the season at low Single-A Charleston. Eventually, he made his way to high-A ball and then Double-A Trenton. In total, he went 6-5 with a 2.46 ERA and 10.1 K/9 in 24 starts.

Severino's fastball tops out at 98 mph and his slider is sharp. He also has a changeup in his repertoire. What stood out with him was his ability to control of all three of his pitches, making him an effective power arm on the mound.

Severino is far from major league ready; he is just 20 years old. It is likely that plenty of teams have already called asking about him, but the Yankees lack a depth of young pitching. Severino is one of the few bright spots they have in their system. They should hang on to him.

All stats were obtained via Baseball-Reference.com.

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