The halfway mark of the baseball season is always a very hectic time. It's at this point that teams have to make a decision on whether or not their season is over or just getting started. I know it sounds crazy that a team’s season can be over when there are still another 81 games to be played, but that’s the truth. Usually it’s a pretty simple decision, but sometimes teams get stuck in that in between zone where the rest of their season can really go either way. That’s where the New York Yankees currently find themselves right now and for the past few years.

Over those last few years, the Yankees have been buyers at the trade deadline, opting to pick up more players rather than gut the team and start over. Obviously that hasn’t worked out for them, as they're in the same place now as they were last year and the year before. Something has to change, and that means the Yankees need to swallow their pride and sell off what they can. They can’t keep signing veterans who are past their prime in hopes that they will recapture some of their youth.

Instead they should be looking for actual youth. They need younger players. They have a few good prospects in the minor leagues that can make a major difference come next year, but they need some more help. And as much as they don’t want to admit it, the Yankees are going to have to “rebuild.” A tactic that almost all teams use, but the Yankees tend to try and patch things up and then outspend everyone for the big free agent. However, that strategy has now put them in their current problematic spot. And with all teams making good money now off television deals, it’s not as easy for them to lure the top talent to their team.

I’m not here to say who they should trade and who they should target. I’m no expert or anything like that, but I believe they should shop a good chunk of their players. The problem being that in their current state you might not get a lot for the players you are willing to give up. So who do you get rid of? Brett Gardner has been tossed around as a trade candidate over this past year and he could get you some decent returns. But in my opinion, as much as I hate to say it, I think you have to trade Carlos Beltran. He only has one year left on his contract, and with the year he is having, he could generate a decent return. And if the Yankees have any kind of hope in their young right field prospect Aaron Judge, then it won’t be a big deal to trade Beltran.

Even if they don’t do anything at the trade deadline, there are going to be some serious moves made this off-season.