Is the Yankees Long-Time General Manager on His Last Hurrah?
The problem, since the trade deadline was moved up to the end of July in 2019, was clear to all large-market teams. The days of playoff teams baiting losing ones who were out of contention to give up their best players for Minor League potential are over. The extra wild card spot opened up more teams to compete for a postseason spot, and by the time of the early deadline, it reduced the need to give up their better players, choosing instead to hold and not buy. Brian Cashman, the Yankees general manager, has not excelled in this area since. The trade deadline of today requires creativity, something Cashman does not possess.
Brian Cashman has been pegged. MLB teams know how he operates. He is an old dog with no new tricks. In the twilight of his career, what he does between tonight and July 31st will determine the destiny of his talented yet flawed team. This may very well be Cashman's last chance to show that he still has a surprise or two up his sleeve. The competition is getting thicker, and this is not even the harder of the two leagues. Anything short of a division title and a top-two finish guarantees that the Yankees will not reach their goal and have nothing to show for 16 years.
The weaknesses are obvious. The bullpen, third base, and starting pitching depth are the needs. The price to fill these positions will come from the minor leagues. The question is, can Cashman acquire the key pieces without having to offer top liners like Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr., Cam Schlittler, or Carlos Lagrange? These are players that should be untouchable with the exception of a Juan Soto-level move. The names that have been rumored to be on the Yankees’ minds are Arizona slugger Eugenio Suarez for the hot corner. Pittsburgh reliever David Bednar and former all-star starter Mitch Keller are achievable, especially with Trent Grisham in any deal with a package of prospects. The question is, how far will Cashman go to fill the holes and give the Yankees a fighting chance to return to the World Series?
As we go into the start of the second half, the Yankees have already played 96 games, which is nearly two-thirds of the season already. The games remaining equate to a mere two months left to make a move. There was a series of decisions just before the break that implied that the Yankees’ level of urgency was activated. This is a good sign. However, further action is needed. The race to the postseason begins tonight, and rumblings aside, the Yankees will not go anywhere without an infusion of talent in key positions to reinforce what they do possess.
Cashman was known in his salad days as a general manager who could be counted on to make the trade no one saw coming. In those days, those acquisitions made a difference. A look back saw Chuck Knoblauch, Roger Clemens, David Justice, Bobby Abreu, Raul Ibanez, and DJ LeMahieu as strong reminders of his guile. Yet recent memories also saw the failure to acquire players like Cliff Lee, Carlos Correa, and Bryce Harper, which kept the Yankees from adding a number of championships. This series of meetings away from prying eyes and rumor-laden will either move Cashman to bring his best foot forward or fail and see a fanbase call for his retirement for good. There is no middle ground this time.
