Earlier today on Jim Bowden’s SiriusXM radio show (Channel
210, Fantasy Sports Radio), GM Brian Cashman indicated it is possible no
further moves are made before the team heads to Tampa next month. “We stay engaged with the marketplace, but I
think more likely than not – 99 percent
likely – we are going to be going to camp with what we have”, Cashman told
Bowden.
Color me the skeptic but I think the odds just increased for
the Yankees to make a move to add a veteran pitcher before camp. The ‘1%’ Brian Cashman indirectly alludes to
just became as wide of the Grand Canyon.
I take these comments as posturing, whether it is to get the Chicago
White Sox to lessen their demands for starting pitcher Jose Quintana or a free
agent like Jason Hammel to accept a lesser deal.
Cashman’s comments kind of feel like the stereotypical team vote
of confidence for a manager who is about to lose his job (and does).
I am not buying the talk of simply throwing Luis Cessa, Chad
Green, Bryan Mitchell, Adam Warren and Luis Severino into the mix to compete
for the two open rotation spots. To do
so means the Yankees have complete confidence that two of these pitchers will
rise to the challenge. The more prudent
approach would be to bring in a veteran pitcher to compete with the kids.
I thought earlier in the off-season, the Arizona
Diamondbacks and their new GM Mike Hazen, made a very good move in picking up
Taijuan Walker in a five-player trade with the Seattle Mariners. That’s the type of trade that I’d like to see
the Yankees make, rather than bet the farm on a trade for Quintana.
I’ve heard the predictions that the Yankees could end up
with anywhere from 75 to 85 wins depending on how well the younger guys
play. If the team truly has the
potential to win 85 games, then it is not going to take much to secure at least
one of the wild card spots. If the
Yankees feel that Quintana can make the difference, then they should pull the
trigger on a trade. I do not want to
risk losing key top prospects, but recognize that the only way to pry Quintana
lose would be to include prized talent.
That’s why I feel that Cashman is simply throwing a smoke screen to
eliminate or at least reduce the perception of desperation.
His way of trying to turn this from a seller’s market to a buyer’s
market.
Odds are the Houston Astros or another team will overpay to
win Quintana’s services. Regardless of
what happens with Quintana, the Yankees would be better served by focusing on
other under the radar trade possibilities to strengthen the competition for the
open rotation spots. This is exactly
what I think Brian Cashman is looking to do with his latest posturing
comments. He wants to make the right
deal…on his terms.
We’ll soon see if 1% yields a veteran pitcher…