The New York Yankees suffered a horrific loss last night to one of the worst teams in baseball in the Cincinnati Reds. Gerrit Cole started the game and had one of his best starts of the year going seven innings while striking out eleven and allowing zero runs.
Michael King shut things down in the eighth inning. The Yankees carried a 3-0 lead into the ninth and handed the ball to Clay Holmes who had been arguably the best reliever in baseball this year. After essentially being perfect in 2022, Holmes imploded and gave up four runs.
The Yankees would lose the game 4-3 which was their third straight loss. However, it’s not just the fact that they lost three games in a row. It’s the fact that they were in excellent positions to win all three games.
Reality is that even after this three-game skid, the Yankees still have the best record in baseball. However, after watching them play Houston and Boston recently, it doesn’t feel like they are the best team in baseball. Last night’s loss shined a brighter light on potential concerns and that could be a blessing.
Yankees need to act
The Yankees need to act at the trade deadline. Yes, they have the best record in baseball. Yes, they have played sensational baseball this year. However, they are not a finished product and they need a little more help if they want to capture number 28.
Aaron Hicks finally started to heat up over the past few weeks and then he went down last night after fouling a ball off his shin. No telling how long he’s going to be out. The Yankees have a black hole on their team in Joey Gallo. They need to make a move to acquire an outfielder.
The most smoke seems to be centered around Kansas City’s Andrew Benintendi. Benintendi can handle the spotlight in a big market. We’ve seen him do with Boston. He’s a lefty bat who plays sensational defense in the outfield and he strikes out well under the league average.
His 300+ batting average is exactly what this lineup needs. In addition to another contact-first bat, the Yankees need another bullpen arm. Holmes, King, and Peralta have been very good. But we’ve seen some shakiness lately.
They recently signed Richard Rodriguez to a minor league deal and that’s something that might really help them out. They also have Domingo German and Jonathan Loaisiga coming back from the IL and hopefully Aroldis Chapman can somewhat return to form.
Rotation Concerns?
However, none of those guys can be depended on. To sure things up, I would love to see the Yankees get another quality arm for the back part of the bullpen. Now, there’s one other area I would like to see them sure up and that’s the rotation.
The Yankees have had one of the best rotations in baseball. However, lately it’s feeling like the rotation is a giant jenga tower that’s getting ready to fall. Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino, and Jordan Montgomery are fine. They are not my concern.
My concerns center around Nestor Cortes and Jameson Taillon. Yes, Cores is an All Star for the Yankees and he’s been sensational. I love Cortes, but he’s been a little shaky lately. Through his first ten starts, Cortes was pitching to a 1.50 ERA.
However, over his last six starts for the bombers, his ERA is 5.33. Jameson Taillon was pitching to a 2.30 ERA through his first ten starts. In his last seven starts, he’s pitching to a 6.03 ERA including an ERA over 9 in his last four.
We’ve seen the Yankees tied to Luis Castillo of the Reds for the last few seasons. They are already being linked to him again this year. Castillo will pitch against New York tomorrow. If they can somehow pull of a deal to get Castillo, they need to do it.
Point of this article is that the Yankees have moves to make. Even with the best record in baseball, there are gaps in this team and they need to be filled. Their recent struggles have really shed a light on those gaps and now Brian Cashman is going to be forced to act. This is a test for him and it’s one he needs to pass.