The Yankees didn’t make the winners list here because they failed to fill their needs. But did they do the best they could under uniquely terrible circumstances? Maybe so.
Sure, you can wonder whether Yankees GM Brian Cashman and Co. are slightly cautious based on their amazing, nearly three-decade history of pain-free deadlines (more on that below). But the real issue here was surely player availability — yep, there was a distinct lack of difference-makers available who fit the Yankees and actually got moved.
The Yankees called on all but ended up filling only one obvious need with their logical trade for righty-hitting Heliot Ramos. In a much bigger deal, they also acquired lefty-hitting, slugging first baseman Luis García Jr., and while he’s close to Ben Rice’s statistical twin, it was still necessary to improve a lineup in a deep funk since Aaron Judge hit the injured list two months ago, even with yet another lefty.
In an extreme seller’s market, the Yankees most needed a catcher, right-handed hitting and bullpen help, which turned out to be exactly the three weakest markets in a generally sorry overall market. And if that wasn’t bad enough, almost all sellers with stars remained laser-focused on George Lombard Jr., the top Yankees prospect and defensive whiz about to be summoned to solve the team’s fourth-biggest need — shortstop. He was going nowhere!
