Last night, the Yankees lost to the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 and lost the series to the Reds two games to one. It was a horrific loss for the Yanks who have looked almost unbeatable at home this year, yet the lowly Reds came into the Bronx and took two out of three.
If you were going to give the Reds a game going into the series, you would’ve guessed it would’ve been last night. Reds ace Luis Castillo was on the mound and boy he didn’t disappoint. The star pitcher went seven innings allowing just one run and struck out eight.
He also took a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the Yankees. It was the perfect audition for the Reds pitcher. Under the bright lights in New York in a game the Yankees desperately wanted to win and he shut them down.
Couldn’t help but think that the front office was salivating while watching Castillo along with many fans. The dream is there to have Castillo and his sub-three ERA slot in behind Gerrit Cole as the Yankees go for World Series #28.
Will the Yankees make a splash?
Yesterday, the Yankees made a very interesting move. They brought back super-utility man Tyler Wade and sent him to AAA where Oswald Peraza is currently playing. Wade was primarily playing SS this year, but it’s worth noting that he plays all over the field.
Brian Cashman pointed that out yesterday when discussing the move. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Yankees and Dodgers are the early favorites to land Castillo. The Yanks have loved him for a long time and have tried numerous times to get him.
However, they’ve never been willing to pay the price. Per Heyman, Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza are at the top of the wishlist for the Reds. I’m going to tell you right now, the Yankees are not trading Volpe.
So the spotlight shifts to Peraza who has looked sensational at AAA as of late. He’s looked so good that fans have been begging the team to ship off IKF and allow Peraza to come up and play. The same way that fans have been clamoring for Miguel Andujar and Estevan Florial.
However, the Yankees have kept all three of them down as of now. Why, why would the Yankees do that (Insert Brian Windworst Meme). My opinion is that Peraza, Florial, and Andujar are the team’s three biggest trade chips. Dominguez and Volpe are not going anywhere.
Instead of risking their value at the MLB level, it almost seems that they are intentionally being kept down so they can continue to play at a high level which maximizes their trade value. The Tyler Wade move does give them depth, but it also could signal a potential deal in the near future.
Will the Yankees finally ship off a top prospect to get the star pitcher they desire? If not now, then when? The timing couldn’t be better and if they have the chance, they need to go for the kill.