Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has been active the past few weeks, supplementing the loss of three starting pitchers and a weakened bullpen. Entering the off-season, acquiring pitchers for the rotation was a necessity, and while he managed to do so in a cost-efficient manner, he took an extremely risky approach.
Cashman hosted a zoom conference on Friday, stating that he feels confident his team can compete for a World Series in 2021. However, the roster is never fully strengthened and complete, even though he will once again have the highest salary in baseball.
“I’m not sure if the roster is ever complete,†Cashman said. “At the same time, we’re ready to go with what we have. I think we’ve got quality at all positions, and we’ve got depth in the starting rotation with additions like Taillon and Kluber. We certainly are excited by the current crew that we have.â€
I wouldn’t expect the Yankees to make any more significant moves, with the exception of maybe signing an outfielder. Cashman did indicate they are in communication with Brett Gardner’s representatives, and he remains on their list.
The Yankees have been risky with their pitching rotation in recent years:
Cashman has taken a similar approach this season compared to recent years, acquiring injured talent who are rehabilitating from serious issues. Take Corey Kluber, for example, who missed a majority of the 2020 season with shoulder tightness, which came after a 2019 season where he broke his forearm. Kluber has only pitched 36.2 innings over the past two years, but considering he has won two Cy Young Awards, acquiring him for just $11 million seems like a bargain.
The Yankees are hedging their bets on formally injured talent, but if they do pan out, they will walk away like bandits considering the price tags.
Cashman’s words don’t exactly scream “confident,†as he admits his risky approach and how it could easily backfire. Nonetheless, ownership is forcing him to stay below the $210 million luxury tax threshold, so making these moves were a necessity.