SPANISH HARLEM, NY – I’m sure you may be tired of reading about the MLB Trading Deadline but what kind of fan would I be if I didn’t chime in about the moves the Yankees made these past 7 days. Brian Cashman once again acquired talent without giving in to ridiculous demands yet a lot of young players were traded to make this year’s team better. Many still believe the organization has a Top 5 Farm System and that in itself is impressive considering how many Top 10 rated players management shipped out. One year removed from being Sellers, the Yankees found a way to mesh the present with the future.
Let’s start with Sonny Gray, who the Yankees acquired from the Oakland Athletics for three prospects: outfielder Dustin Fowler, infielder/outfielder Jorge Mateo, and pitcher James Kaprielian. Many Yankee fans will remember Fowler as the guy who got hurt before his first Major League at bat (which sucked) but now he will get the opportunity to play every day in the majors, once he is back to being healthy. That brings me to another point I wanted to make, Cashman somehow made this trade even though 2/3 of the players sent were injured and/or out for the season. Kaprielian is a pitcher the Yankees really liked as a potential front line starter but underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this season. Given how long it takes to get back from that injury it’s safe to say he was another year or so from contributing to the ball club. Anyone who knows anything about Mateo saw him being traded at some point because he was blocked by Didi Gregorius, who is having another great season and Gleyber Torres (Number -1- rated prospect in the Yankees System).
Some have stated that A’s General Manager Billy Beane could have had a better haul for Gray but the guys the Yankees traded players with high end potential, especially Kaprielian, who many considered a future Ace in the making. Nothing is guaranteed in life so this trade has the potential for bust on either side, when you consider the injury history that accompanies Gray. For now the Yankees get a front line starter, who is under team control for the next two years. If Gray can stay healthy with the way he has pitched his last 5 starts then the Yankees got the pitcher they wanted, at a time when they really needed it.
Another move that has gone under the radar because of the Sonny Gray trade was the acquisition of Jamie Garcia of the Minnesota Twins. Garcia was acquired for minor league pitchers Dietrich Enns and Zack Littell, on July 30th. Now that the Yankees have acquired two pitchers in less than a week, the team goes from not having enough starters to having too many. The odd man out seems to be Jordan Montgomery, who has been inconsistent of late. Joe Girardi will go with a 6-man rotation for this week but doesn’t intend to use that method going forward. Many have speculated that Montgomery was under an innings limit that has not been addressed by management so if that’s the case, insurance was needed in the form of Garcia. Another idea would be to be to keep Montgomery in the bullpen and/or spot start if Girardi feels a pitcher needs an extra day of rest. All in all, Cashman has given the Yankees options for their chase of the division and fans can rejoice knowing this can turn into a very special season.
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