Cash's Options To "Reinforce" The Rotation Are Limited

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

Cue up the Cashman hate train!

Less than 2 weeks from the trade deadline and on the eve of his 47-47 team getting their 2nd half underway against the Reds, Brian Cashman spoke to Andrew Marchand yesterday about the team's plans for said deadline.  It's been over a week since the Brandon McCarthy and Jeff Francis acquisitions and the trade front has been very quiet since.  The discussion of whether the Yanks will or even should be buyers or sellers has grown louder in that time, and Cash gave some insight as to which way they might be leaning with his comments.  It's exactly what you'd expect:

Analyzing The Early Trade Rumors

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

The trade deadline is now less than 6 weeks away, and the engines on the rumor mill have started churning.  On Wednesday, Brian Cashman discussed the Yankees' plans for the deadline with Ken Davidoff, saying "we usually make moves every year, so I expect to make moves" when asked what he expected.  As for how aggressive the Yankees will be, I guess this statement from Cash sums it up best:

“I feel that we do have the ability to make trades if that’s a route we so choose.  How we line up with other clubs, I don’t know … but I definitely have people that are wanted within the industry. But we want those guys, too. We’ll see.”

Cash is no fool when it comes to playing the media game.  He isn't going to tip his hand.  But we all know what the Yankees' biggest needs are (starting pitcher, infielder/backup first baseman, right fielder) and we know they're going to look to fill some of those needs.  It's far too early to make any rational predictions, but there are already a couple rumors that popped up this week involving the Yanks.  Here's a quick trip around the early deadline rumor mill.

Report: Hal "Willing" To Spend At The Trade Deadline

I don't think there's anything he could have said differently given the team's current physical status, but in speaking to reporters on Thursday, Hal Steinbrenner indicated a willingness on his part to add payroll at the trade deadline to improve the team:

“[We’re] always willing to look at options come July ... Some years we've done stuff, like last year with Soriano. Some years we haven’t. But we’re not going to ever lay down and die. We’re going to do what we need to do to stay in.”

Hal got a little tight with the wallet after the team locked up Masahiro Tanaka and landed McCann, Ellsbury, and Beltran earlier in the offseason.  The holes left on the roster as a result have shown through over the first 40 games.  The infield is weak defensively and incredibly weak on both sides of the ball up the middle and there have been some whispers about Stephen Drew again this week.  The rotation is in tatters with 60% of it on the DL and the internal replacements not doing much to ease those losses.  Every team out there knows the Yankees need pitching, so the cost is going to be steep whether they start to look for some now or closer to the deadline.  How much the Yanks are willing to part with prospect-wise will determine how much help they can go out and get.

All Quiet On The Trade Front

We're now just a handful of hours away from the non-waiver trade deadline, and as of the time I started writing this post the Yankees remain largely inactive.  They were loosely connected to most of the top available hitters yesterday but really nothing more than checking in on availability.  Since the Alfonso Soriano trade last week they've been incredibly quiet, both as potential sellers and buyers, which brings up the question of what exactly are they trying to do?

Per the ownership-implemented 2014 payroll plan and the questionable way in which they've gone about making moves to plan for it, the Yankees have straddled the line of contender and rebuild candidate all season long.  They're 8 games out in the loss column in the AL east and 3 out in the Wild Card race with a -9 run differential, and as presently constructed don't look all that capable of making a postseason run this year or next year.  One way or another, more activity at the deadline rather than less would have been a good way to push the team into some direction for the future.

And here they are, approaching the deadline with almost nothing going on.  After selling the fanbase on their commitment to a championship-caliber team, the front office appears content to just stand pat, wait for guys like C-Grand and maybe A-Rod to return, and hold their present course for better or worse.  With the markets for Hughes and Joba drying up, it's hard to hammer them for doing so, but the lack of activity now paired with the earlier addition of 2014 payroll for guys like Soriano, Ichiro, and Vernon Wells puts the club in the same "no man's land" position next year that they're in now.  It's all very confusing and it's adding up to a 2014 season that'll be even more frustrating than this one.

Phelps Gives Yankees Added Deadline Flexibility

(Courtesy of Michael Mancuso/The Times of Trenton)

With the trade deadline just 2 days away, one player who doesn't have a clear role as either a part of the roster or a trade chip is David Phelps.  Earlier today we updated Phelps' rehab status as he works his way back from a forearm strain, and he's scheduled to make his next appearance for Double-A Trenton tomorrow night.  What happens after that outing is anybody's guess.  Neither Cash nor Joe have committed to a role for Phelps once he's ready to be activated from the DL.  They're certainly not guaranteeing that he would return to the starting rotation, nor should they with how well Ivan Nova has pitched.  With what they might still be trying to accomplish on the trade market, perhaps the Yankees are waiting to make a decision on Phelps until after the deadline passes.

Trade Deadline Prep Week Recap

The trade deadline is just 10 days.  The Yankees are starting to carve out their position in the market and for once it's not a strictly buyer position.  The immediate and short-term futures of this organization can be changed in the next week plus and there are a lot of things that could play out, some outcomes more realistic than others.  If you missed any of the prep posts from this past week at AB4AR, here they are again:

Monday- The Needs

Tuesday- The Targets

Wednesday- The Rumors

Thursday- The Pipe Dreams

Friday- The Predictions

Trade Deadline Prep Week: The Predictions

(Will the original "Yankee 5th Starter Competition Pageant" winner still be in pinstripes at year's end?) 

Guess that Chase Headley thing was never going to work out, huh?  Good thing I didn't expect it to, although I did tip my hand a little with a couple of my pipe dream guys.  If the Yanks added Lucroy and Stanton at the deadline, I think I'd take a day off of work to celebrate.  I also don't expect that to happen, but I do have some ideas about what I do and don't think will happen before the July 31st deadline.  The Yankees can't sit and be inactive, that's the only thing they can't do.  Whether they are buyers, sellers, or both, they need to do something.  Before the deadline passes and the dust settles, here's what I think they'll do.

Trade Deadline Prep Week: The Pipe Dreams

(Love me some Lucroy.  Courtesy of the AP)

The past 3 days have been spent on the realistic parts of the Yankee deadline position.  We know what they have, we know what they need, we know who they're after, and we know what stories are out there right now.  There's not much more to do about that other than watch it play out and hope Cash can pull off some magic, so why not expand the mind a bit and think outside the box of trade reality?  There are some higher-profile players out there who would be even better additions for the Yankees now and for the future than the players already discussed this week.  If Cash wanted to get bold, and the other GMs were willing to listen, here are some big swings the Yanks could take to try to really upgrade their team.

Trade Deadline Prep Week: The Rumors

(Do teams still really want this guy?  Courtesy of the AP)

We know what they want and we know who they're after.  Time to get to what's being said about both of those things out on the market.  The Yankees have been connected to a number of players and teams in the last week, most of them already mentioned in the previous posts.  What's being said out there on the rumor mill might lend some clues as to what moves the Yankees are trying to make before the deadline or it could be smoke, mirrors, and shadow games.  That's the fun and frustration of the pre-deadline rumor mill.  What stories are floating around out there right now involving the Bombers?  And more importantly, what do they mean?

Trade Deadline Prep Week: The Targets

(LoMo, anybody?  Courtesy of Jeff Curry/USA Today)

Deadline week kicked off yesterday with a look at the Yankees' biggest needs heading into the final 2 weeks before the July 31st non-waiver date.  There are more than usual for a Yankee team and almost all of them - certainly the most important ones - are on the offensive portion of the roster.  To their credit, the Yankees have been doing their homework on players who could fit these needs for a few weeks now, giving hope that they'll actually make a move to help the lineup for the first time since signing Lyle Overbay.  After the jump, find the 5 players the Yankees have been linked to the most recently.

Yanks' Deadline Strategy With Hughes Is Perfect

Assuming, of course, that what Joel Sherman reported in The Post yesterday has some truth to it.  That's a disclaimer that always has to come with any Sherman report, but if the team's strategy he laid out is actually what they're following then it might just be the smartest thing they've ever done with Hughes.

Basically it comes down to the Yankees not being willing to move Phil Hughes at the deadline just for the sake of moving him, which is the right approach to take.  According to Sherman, they're looking for more than just a stopgap or some mid-level prospects in return for him.  They want a position player with some years of control left - something the future lineup could really use - and if they don't get that they plan on keeping Hughes and making him a qualifying offer this offseason.  If a team is willing to sign him and forfeit the pick, the Yanks get another compensatory 1st round draft pick next year.  If no one is, the Yanks get Hughes back for another year in his prime and get another chance to move him at next year's deadline.

At worst, they come out with an extra 1st round pick in the 2014 draft if they follow this plan.  That's pretty good value for a guy who they weren't going to re-sign anyway.  At best, the Yanks get a useful piece that can help re-tool the lineup and achieve next year's payroll budget goal.  Anything less than that and the Yankees are better off keeping Hughes for the rest of this season, be it as a back end rotation guy or in the 'pen.  Kudos to Cash and the front office for being smart enough to realize that.  Now let's see if they follow through on the plan.

Trade Deadline Prep Week: The Needs

(Time to make a move, guy.  Courtesy of Ron Antonell/NY Daily News)

The Yankees don't step on the field again for a game until Friday.  With the bulk of this week being spent on ASG activities and the trade deadline just a few weeks away, it seems like the perfect opportunity to devote some real time to the Yankees' position leading up to the deadline and what moves they should/shouldn't make.  The way things have gone this season, the Yanks could very well be out of playoff contention come the end of the month, so for once they'll head into the deadline with more on their minds than just adding a player or 2 for a postseason push.  The immediate and distant future of the team can be affected at this trade deadline so let's give it the attention it deserves with a full week of pre-deadline analysis.  Today we'll start with the team as presently constructed and its biggest needs.

And So It Begins

AL exec: “Yanks aggressively pushing Joba, Hughes. Joba could happen soon to NL team.” Source says #Yankees talking on both, nothing close.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 10, 2013

#yankees r dangling phil hughes in hopes of acquiring a hitter. rival exec predicts they'll succeed. http://t.co/VRZIh5VzKE
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 10, 2013

In 2007-2008, the Yankees had a collection of 3 of the hottest pitching prospects in baseball, the future core of the rotation that would help usher in the next great Yankee dynasty.  By the end of this month, all 3 of those pitchers could be in other uniforms.  Not exactly what Cash had in mind when he had this big 3 together back then.

When the rotation starts to trend downward in the next year or 2, this will end up being one of, if not the biggest reason why.

Time To See How "Open For Business" The Yanks Really Are

Brian Cashman declared the Yankees "open for business"  on the trade market last week, not a huge declaration given the constant wheeling and dealing he's been doing since early in spring camp.  With the regular season now almost half over and the shine almost completely worn off the handful of spring acquisitions, now it's going to be put up or shut up time for Cash and the Yankees to follow through on that declaration with more than just marginal moves.

They've already been unlinked to Manny Ramirez and the recently DFA'd Ramon Hernandez, both of whom play positions at which the Yankees could afford to upgrade.  Their status as defensive liabilities and below-average offensive players hardly makes either an upgrade though, so Cash choosing to pass on them is understandable and justifiable.  But the trade market is starting to come together with both Chicago clubs announcing last week that they're looking to sell and more teams likely to follow suit in the next few weeks.

There's no question that there are potential upgrades to be had on both of those clubs should Cash try to pursue them.  What is a question is how aggressive the Yankees are willing to be to get those upgrades.  Cash considerations and players to be named later aren't going to get it done if they're serious about adding someone like Nate Schierholtz.  The lineup is still badly in need of a boost in multiple areas, and the team's willingness to seriously engage teams in talks over the next month will give insight into how serious they are about contending down the stretch this season and also possibly into how serious the budget plans for next season still are.

Trade Deadline News: Yanks Get McGehee And Add Another Bullpen Arm...

The Dempster rumors turned out to be smoke, but the Yankees did make a small deal, acquiring infielder Casey McGehee from Pittsburgh for Chad Qualls.  McGehee, a former Brewer, hasn't come close to matching his career season of 2010 these last 2 years, but he can play third and has some pop from the right side.  With Teix missing at least the next couple of games, this was the Yankees' biggest need and McGehee is an upgrade over Ramiro Pena.

The bigger part of this deal is that by moving Qualls, the Yankees clear up a roster spot for Joba Chamberlain, who is going to be activated tonight.  I haven't seen any official reports of it yet, but it sounds like a done deal.  For the first time since June 5th of last year, Joba will be in a New York Yankee uniform and available to pitch out of the New York Yankee bullpen.  That's great news for him and the bullpen, who need another non-matchup arm in the worst way.

Welcome back, Joba.  Now somebody do me a favor and HIT THE FUCKING MUSIC!!!

Thinking About Other Possible Trade Targets

(This guy WOULD look good in pinstripes... )

The Yankee trade talk has quieted down a bit since the Ichiro deal and the initial boom in hypotheticals in response to the Alex Rodriguez injury, but it's never wise to consider Cash "done" until the trade deadline has passed.  There are still a few days until the happens, and with Eric Chavez hobbled by an HBP last night, production from the catcher position still inconsistent and underwhelming, and the natural connection of the Yankees to any big name pitcher who may be available, it's still worth at least talking about what the Yankees could do.  At the moment there is nothing to indicate that the Yankees are or will be involved in major negotiations about any of the gentlemen mentioned below, but here's my takes on a few players whose services could fit the Yankees' future wants and current needs.

How "In On Everybody" Are The Yankees, Really?

(How much does this guy really know?)

Jon Heyman helped stir the trade talk pot with his report yesterday that the Yankees were "in on everybody" in looking for a replacement for Brett Gardner in left field.  His report built off of some of the already-existing rumors out there connecting the Yankees to guys like Shane Victorino, Denard Span, and Justin Upton, and also off of Thursday's news that Gardner will have arthroscopic surgery on his injured elbow and will likely miss the remainder of the season.  There hasn't been a whole lot of real evidence to support the Yankees really being THAT interested in any of the available trade targets, despite Heyman's quoting of a "rival executive," and in my opinion there's too much about these 3 that doesn't fit with the Yankees for any of them to be considered serious trade targets right now.

Anticipating Another Quiet Trade Deadline

(Expect stealth again from Cash this season at the deadline)

A few weeks ago, I mentioned the upcoming trade deadline as one of the reasons the Yankees will win the AL East this year.  This past offseason was another all-or-nothing one, as it usually seems to be for the Yankees, but the trade deadline is always a great opportunity for them to right some offseason wrongs or fill in-season gaps created by injuries or poor performance.  At the time of that "5 Reasons" post, CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte were still on the active roster and the Yankees held a 5-game lead in the AL East.  In the 2 weeks since they've upped that advantage to 7 games, and were it not for a HR that D-Rob allowed late in Chicago and a couple of games they absolutely gave away in Tampa, that lead could be even bigger.  That being the case and me having a chance to step back and look at the big picture right now, I think we're headed for another very quiet trade deadline season in Yankeeland.