The August 31st trading deadline will be here in
just a few short days and while the Yankees cleaned house before the August 1st
trade deadline all signs point to this deadline being a quiet one. That could
be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it because in one
corner Brian Cashman has done some of his best work while lurking in the
shadows and none of us heard any rumors about it before it actually happened.
On the other hand there just may not be any interest in what the Yankees have
left that they are willing to trade.
The Yankees youth movement is in full swing so the potential
list of trade candidates seems to be small. The list is headlined by Brian
McCann who has seemingly lost his everyday job to Gary Sanchez and who has also
cleared revocable waivers already this month. McCann was linked to the Atlanta
Braves before the August 1st trade deadline but Atlanta scoffed at
the idea of taking on that salary and giving up good prospects in return but
with a month of salary now off the books for McCann, a Matt Kemp deal since
that showed Atlanta’s willingness to take on salary and the GM in Atlanta’s
recent statements about having to “win games in 2017” due to the new stadium
I’m sure these talks are still going on. Atlanta’s farm system is deep, it may
be the best in all the land, so I expect a deal to be done either by Wednesday
or this winter in the offseason. If New York wants it done sooner rather than
later simply agree to eat some of the salary, simple as that.
Other players on the potential list include left fielder
Brett Gardner (who reportedly received little to no interest in trades before
the August 1st trade deadline), Jacoby Ellsbury (who is owed a ton
of money and has not lived up to the contract that included a no-trade clause),
CC Sabathia (see my comments on the status of Jacoby Ellsbury), Mark Teixeira
(also see my comments on Ellsbury and keep in mind that he announced he was
going to retire after the season meaning if the Yankees traded him they may
have egg on their face when it is all said and done), Chase Headley
(surprisingly a movable contract after such a sluggish start to the season),
Tyler Clippard and Adam Warren (two veteran relief pitchers and we all know how
interchangeable relief pitching can be).
The Yankees have plenty of talent they could move but the
problem is they aren’t likely to move any of it before Wednesday. Clippard and
Warren fit in with their “win now” mentality for the 2016 season while only the
contracts of Chase Headley and Brett Gardner are moveable without the players
consent. Headley and Gardner could be replaced from within and both would
likely draw interest from teams but if there was that much interest I feel like
they would have been moved before the August 1st trade deadline,
wouldn’t you? All signs point to this being a slow and quiet trade deadline for
the New York Yankees…. Which is just what “Ninja” Brian Cashman wants us to
think.
This headline I like, it sounds very, well I'll let you guys call it....
ReplyDelete"Blend of youth, veterans working for Yankees"!
Yes, it is a small sample as is Sanchez and his hot bat, but it makes one aware of what can be done with a good combination of Vets and kids.
Believe it or not, it has worked before, most recently by KC...and in the past with the Yankees.