Following a poor trade deadline performance, general manager of the New York Yankees Brian Cashman left much to be desired. There was lots of expectation among Yankees supporters that New York would go all in at the deadline this season.
They started the week by acquiring Jazz Chisholm Jr. and subsequently added Tanner Scott and Jack Flaherty to the rumors of several more players.
Despite Chisholm’s excellent appearance in Yankees pinstripes, New York failed to complete another noteworthy deal. If the Yankees are not going to win the World Series again, Brian Cashman is probably going to have some regrets over these past few days.
(To obtain the inside word on the MLB trade deadline, join the discord channel and listen to MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast for more news and rumors.)
3. Cashman will be sorry he didn’t bolster the bullpen further.
One of the New York Yankees’ most well-known strengths is their bullpen. A robust bullpen is essential for any club hoping to have a serious shot at winning the World Series. While almost all of the contending teams are interested in adding relievers before the deadline, the Yankees failed to add a significant bullpen arm in 2024.
For the whole season, Aaron Boone has been forced to start games with marginal minor league arms, and it doesn’t appear like Boone will have the luxury of selecting between outstanding arms at the conclusion of play. Before the deadline passed, Brian Cashman did not purchase a high leverage reliever.
It’s crucial to remember that bullpen arms were extremely costly this year. Selling the farm to get an arm like Tanner Scott, who delivered three top six prospects from the Padres organization to the Marlins, would have been a dumb move for New York. However, Cashman’s decision to forgo adding a second back-end arm raises questions about the Yankees’ prospects of winning the World Series in 2024.
If the bullpen isn’t dominant in October, winning a series will be extremely difficult. Teams cannot afford to give games away at the end of a short series like the postseason. The hope among Yankees supporters is that they won’t lose the season due to a weak bullpen.
2. Cashman will be sorry he didn’t bring Gleyber Torres in.
Observing the Yankees roster, statistics, or simply watching a game and noticing the massive void on the infield is quite simple. It’s not hard to find this gap, and assembling the pieces doesn’t actually require a genius. However, Gleyber Torres has continued to bat ok this season, so the Yankees didn’t really need to trade to replace him.
That is, until Jazz Chisholm’s recent trade broke. And no, Torres’ response is what’s important here, not anything to do with Chisholm. Jazz In response, Chisholm made it known to the media, his coaches, and his new teammates that he was prepared to play infield or outfield if it meant the club would win. In response, Torres showed everyone how conceited he is. He declared that as a second baseman, he would not be playing third base.
That sort of conceit alone ought to have prompted Cashman to hunt for someone to take his place. Not to mention that Torres has made more errors at second base than any other player this season, playing like a minor leaguer at the plate.
Though there weren’t many excellent infield possibilities, New York ought to have been more active in the league’s infield player market.
1. Cashman will be sorry that he did not include a starter.
The Yankees’ starting rotation currently has the largest void on the team. Not only has their rotation of pitchers struggled lately, but they have been awful. For the Yankees, even Gerrit Cole has had difficulty. Pitchers Luis Gil, Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon, and Marcus Stroman have also not been able to guide a team to and through the postseason. Before the deadline passed, it was quite evident that New York needed to get a starting pitcher, regardless of quality.
However, Brian Cashman mishandled that and failed to acquire a starter. Jack Flaherty, the right-hander for the Detroit Tigers, was the most prominent starter that Cashman got the Yankees involved with. In the end, Flaherty was traded by Los Angeles to the Dodgers, who sent two prospects back to Detroit. The idea that Cashman couldn’t have outbid Flaherty for more is ridiculous.
However, Cashman did nothing but sit on his hands, unwilling to negotiate for one of the most important pieces his club needed. The Bronx Bombers now have to contend with teams that, while they did not do the same, went all in at the deadline. They will have to send out the same arms that have been struggling for a while while they watch their rivals welcome their new pitchers.
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