The New York Yankees got a huge win yesterday against the Kansas City Royals, completing the three-game sweep in The Bronx. Now, you might be saying, “How in the world is it a big deal to sweep the Royals?” Well, considering the fact that the Yankees were 1-5 to start the second half, a sweep against any team is just what the doctor ordered.
It wasn’t just the fact that they swept the Royals, it’s things that transpired during the game that should peak fans’ interest in a good way. Anthony Rizzo finally hit a home run and went 4-4. Giancarlo Stanton went 2-4 which made him 4-8 over his last eight at-bats with a home run. DJ LeMahieu got another hit which was his fourth straight game with a hit.
The three wins against Kansas City got New York back to six games above 500 in a tie for fourth place in the AL East with Boston. Today is an off-day for the Yankees before they have a two-game set with the Mets before a brutal 10-game stretch against Baltimore, Tampa Bay, and Houston.
Last week, the Yankees’ best move felt like it would be doing a little buying and selling. However, after the sweep and seeing some guys get hot with Aaron Judge gearing up to return, perhaps it’s time to strike while the iron’s hot to build toward a second-half run.
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The Yankees should make moves now
The trade deadline is approaching, and if I’m Brian Cashman, I’m not waiting for last-minute deals. The Yankees have not had much momentum since Aaron Judge got hurt in early June. For the first time in almost two months, it feels like this team could get hot if the pieces start coming together.
Target one should be the Cubs’ Cody Bellinger. I know a ton of teams are going to be calling on Bellinger, and the Cubs might not even trade him considering they are not completely out of things in the NL Central. However, Bellinger is a perfect piece for this Yankees club.
Immediately he would have the highest batting average on the team. He plays elite defense in the outfield, and we know his power lefty stroke plays at Yankee Stadium. Bellinger has to be at the top of the wishlist. However, there are other positions of need.
Catcher is a spot the Yankees need to upgrade. If they are not in love with Oswald Peraza, now could be the time to explore a trade for a third baseman. Nestor Cortes is coming back, Rodon is still getting his legs under him, and Severino has shown flashes, so the rotation might not be the biggest need. However, they definitely need another reliable piece in the bullpen.
As you can tell, there’s a lot of work to be done. I just think the Yankees are a delicate group emotionally. When it rains, it pours with this club, and it’s hard to get things to stop from spiraling out of control. However, when it all clicks, they can begin to look like a title-contending team. My message to Brian Cashman is simple: Do not wait, make a move now.