The wins may be considered gravy this season, but the wins also mean the Yankees could be players at this summer’s trade deadline.
With the second-best record in the American League (21-10), New York has raised eyebrows around baseball, and its well-blended mix of veterans and youth might propel the team into the postseason one or two years ahead of schedule. So, if the Yankees’ winning ways roll into July, will general manager Brian Cashman man the phones as buyers?
On Tuesday morning, Cashman spoke on MLB Network Radio, and made it known that every door is open at the moment.
“I think as a general manager you’re in both short-term and long-term planning, especially in New York,” Cashman said. “You’ve got to do both. Ultimately, last year our team declared itself in a way that we had to react to and recognize that it just wasn’t going to be good enough. Now–August through now, which includes spring training when we had the best record in baseball–we’ve been playing superior baseball.
“So if this team declares itself in a positive way and it needs reinforcements, the opposite is going to come. We’re full-service baseball operations. We’ll recommend what’s necessary, whether that’s buy or sell. I’d be more than happy to be in a conversation with ownership about how we can finish off and improve upon what we already have and see if we can connect with someone on that.”
Rumors have already surfaced around first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and pitchers Gerrit Cole and Jose Quintana as potential trade candidates. If the Yankees are intrigued by these names, there are valued prospects for Cashman to use as leverage. New York currently leads the American League in runs (180) and home runs (52), and also owns a run differential of plus-56–the best in baseball. According to FiveThirtyEight’s weekly projections, New York has been given a 65-percent chance to make the postseason, a 39-percent chance to win the AL East, and a five-percent chance to win the World Series.
If you want to connect with Tom Hanslin, email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @tomhanslin.
