The New York Yankees have employed a fascinating strategy over recent years, attempting to rescue their season at the trade deadline by adding pitching reinforcements and offensive firepower.
Last Year’s Acquisitions
In the previous year, General Manager Brian Cashman brought in Andrew Benintendi to fortify the left field and Frankie Montas. Unfortunately, Montas has scarcely pitched in the pinstripes and has yet to make an appearance this year, with his potential return still months away.
The Yankees have a track record of ineffectively addressing deficiencies via trades, but as they currently occupy the last place in the AL East, many anticipate them to be proactive buyers again to rectify glaring weaknesses.
The Challenge of Transforming the Yankees
The harsh reality is that the Yankees can’t transform into a contending team by simply acquiring a player like Cody Bellinger. They need a heavyweight like Juan Soto or Shohei Ohtani, and the entire team to share the burden. The Yankees’ offensive shortcomings are glaring without their star slugger, Aaron Judge, despite managing to score seven runs on Sunday afternoon and still losing due to poor bullpen performances.
Cashman’s Take on the Situation
Cashman recently appeared on MLB radio, hinting that the Yankees are not only looking to upgrade their left field but are also eyeing some pitching reinforcements.
“I would think every general manager’s going to respond with the, ‘Pitching, pitching, pitching, pitching,’ always, regardless,” Cashman told MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. “So, yes, we just got Rodon back and then Nestor Cortes is due back. We’ve got to get Sevy on line and firing like the Sevy of old. Schmidt just came off a great start. German’s been fantastic for us. So we’ve got a lot of pitching depth there, but that doesn’t preclude us from adding starting pitching or bullpen — bullpen is also important … so I think we’ll look at pitching side.
Linking Bellinger to the Yankees
The Yankees-Bellinger connection has been strong for several months. The 28-year-old outfielder, who is currently hitting .301 with a .358 OBP, 12 homers, 35 RBIs, and a 135 wRC+, would be an ideal fit in Yankee Stadium, thanks to its short right porch.
There are numerous potential candidates to fill the left field gap, but none instantly make the Yankees a World Series contender. Unless the entire team rallies, one player won’t be enough to pull the Yankees out of their rut.
Cashman further commented, “And then to answer your question, yeah, we’ll continue to focus on maybe a bat there that could be more of an established everyday offensive contributor in left field — if that’s viable or not remains to be seen. So whether it’s a right-hand bat that would platoon with what we already have or whether it’s a full-bore everyday position that can lock it down against lefties and righties remains to be seen as we move forward and what’s obtainable and if the prices can match with us.”
The Possibility of a Blockbuster Deal
While Cashman didn’t hint at any blockbuster deals, it’s unwise to dismiss the Yankees from making dramatic moves. Acquiring a player of Soto or Ohtani’s caliber would drastically change the season’s outlook. However, anything less won’t substantially shift the dynamics until Judge’s return and subsequent offensive boost.
The trade deadline promises to be an exciting time for the Yankees, even if it doesn’t translate into a significantly improved team.