The New York Yankees currently sit at 50-47 but are last in the AL East, finding themselves on the outside looking in at the AL Wild Card race. They’ve dropped nine of their last 11 games, including a sweep at the hands of Los Angeles Angels chasing them in the Wild Card hunt. With the August 1st trade deadline quickly approaching, the Yankees are definitely sending the wrong message to Brian Cashman. At +1300 odds to win the AL, seventh best in the league, an uphill battle awaits for the Yankees to contend this year, so how should their trade deadline look?
Aaron Boones Says Yankees Have the Players to Turn it Around
Team ReviewThe strength of the 2023 Yankees has been their pitching. Gerrit Cole has been showing at the top of the rotation, reclaiming his status as one of the best pitchers with a 2.78 ERA. After Cole, though, much is to be desired. Domingo German has impressed at times, obviously recording the 24th perfect game in MLB history, but he, along with Clarke Schmidt and Nestor Cortes, haven’t been difference-makers on the mound. Carlos Rodon’s first three starts as a Yankee have been a train wreck, making 2024 look like when the Yankees can get their return on investment.
New York has had a strong bullpen going for them, something the team has become accustomed to in recent seasons. Michael King, Clay Holmes, and Wandy Peralta all have ERAs below 3.20, along with other reliable arms providing the Yankees with great depth in the bullpen. Still, the bullpen has been pitching from behind too much as of late to be truly effective.
Is Steinbrenner, Cashman, or Boone to Blame?
Offensively, this team is a far cry from what we saw from them last year. Missing Aaron Judge for nearly 50 games hurts, as his absence from the lineup has radiated throughout the rest of the order in a contagious way. Gleyber Torres, Anthony Rizzo, Anthony Volpe, and DJ LeMahieu, who have been the mainstays of the lineup, have struggled mightily, with Torres being the only one of the group whose batting average is north of .250 on the year.
What’s plaguing the team the most has been the outfield which has been nothing short of abysmal. Without Judge, they have been trying to piece together an outfield, and no one is producing. Whether it’s Harrison Bader, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Oswaldo Cabrera, or Jake Bauers – they’ve all stunk. Even when Judge returns eventually, the other two spots in the outfield alongside him will be duds.
The VerdictI shouldn’t be overly bashing a team that sits above .500, but this isn’t a playoff-caliber team. If they were to buy seriously, they’d need two starters and two outfielders to start. With the AL Wild Card race so tight, there will be plenty of buyers at the deadline, unnecessarily driving up the value of mediocre players. Instead of overpaying, the Yankees are better off standing pat or even selling off some pieces to shed salary. Gleybar Torres could generate some value, along with multiple Yankees’ bullpen arms being desirable for a playoff-hopeful team. I can’t take this team seriously, especially how they looked in July, so it isn’t very smart of them to push their chips in for this roster.
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