If there was any doubt that the Yankees are in the market for starting pitching — not that there should have been — general manager Brian Cashman was candid about his team’s pursuit of rotation help in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter links, with audio).
“Yeah, we’re going to target starting pitching, and then if not, continue to try to reinforce the bullpen,” said Cashman. “But the bottom line is just trying to add quality to what we already have. … Houston’s going to get better. Tampa’s going to get better. Boston’s going to get better. Minnesota’s going to get better Oakland’s going to get better. … They’re going to add to their area [of need]. A lot of the players in the mix are in the similar category of quality, so there’s going to be a number of choices out there.”
Cashman noted that the Yankees are in a perhaps beneficial position, having both Luis Severino and Dellin Betances hopefully returning to the club in 2019 as a fallback in the event he is “not able to comfortably match up with somebody” in a trade. That said, the GM also conceded that he expects Severino to need “six or more weeks” before he’s ready to return (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch).
Cashman also acknowledged that 20-year-old right-hander Deivi Garcia, recently promoted to Triple-A, is “pushing himself into the mix” as an option to help at the big league level. The diminutive Garcia, listed at just 5’9″ and 163 pounds, breezed through Double-A opposition with a 3.00 ERA, 14.3 K/9, 4.4 BB/9, 0.35 HR/9 and a 41.9 percent ground-ball rate in 51 innings of work prior to his promotion.
Asking prices across the board have been high early in July, as one might expect, and the number of rental starters who are ticketed for free agency at season’s end outweighs the number of controllable names on the market. That won’t lead the Yankees to do anything rash, it seems. Cashman plainly stated that the organization wouldn’t move Garcia — ranked this week as the game’s No. 25 and No. 29 prospect by Baseball Prospectus and ESPN, respectively — for a rental player. The Yankees are already known to be averse to moving Clint Frazier in such a deal, and that line of thinking presumably applies to the organization’s other top prospects as well.
Over the past few weeks, the Yankees have been connected to most of the top trade candidates on the market, including Madison Bumgarner (link), Trevor Bauer (link), Zack Wheeler (link) and Marcus Stroman (link).
He will most likely get another bat and ignore the pitching all together. Its just what he seems to do.
He never ignores the pitching. It’s about finding a fair deal
It’s about winning the World Series now. No more compromises when it comes to starting pitching.
He didn’t get Verlander, Cole, Corbin. Hal’s budget likely is the reason he’s been so impotent in getting a front line starter.
Value plays like Gray, Paxton, Happ are not what is needed now.
Why not aim for the sky and get both Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg and empty out the entire farm?
JV, Cole, Corbin were all questionable players at the time of the deal. It’s not like they were no brainers by any stretch of the imagination. There were hardly all that many teams even chasing after them.
Neither Verlander nor Cole were pitching like Aces prior to getting to Houston. And the asking price for Cole was simply outrageous (I believe it was Andujar and Torres). Patrick Corbin is the questionable one to me
I love when people move the goalposts as much as you did.
Because neither are available.
Pirates asked for a lot with Cole. Not sure about Verlander. Cole is also a free agent so they can get him next year. As for Corbin that Nats way overpaid, and I don’t think he would have pitched as well in the AL east. As for this year Bumgarner is probably the only difference maker. But he would have to waive his no trade and the yanks would have to come up with the right package for a rental.
No need or room for a bat. Correct, though, traditionally Cashman much better at acquiring hitting than pitching.
He’s been fine with getting pitchers; Larry has just been a terrible pitching coach.
lol
Agreed but I feel like he’s never been willing to deal the top prospects for that #1 recently. Supposedly they had the better offer for Cole but I’m waiting for him to go all in for the scherzer / syndergaard type but idk if he’ll ever be comfortable giving up the prospects it takes to get them
There is no truth to this at all, but ok.
He is the best GM of his era—I don’t see how he would overlook pitching.
Beane is better
No, Cashman is better. And I say this as an active Beane defender.
best GM of this era? Maybe soon we can hire Theo to break our 10 plus year WS slump. I think cash is a just above average GM and that is about it.
the Rays GM who spends less on their entire payroll than Cash does on the pen alone is pretty impressive. i mean they knew to sign Morton and not happless and save 34 mil in the process, right?
Cash is hardly the best GM- he just runs a team with unlimited resources. we have the best scouts, the most sophisticated analytics teams, and the by far the most advanced technology resources in the game. its a real advantage.
yet with 230 mil to spend a year we somehow find a way to still needs a legit stud starting pitcher.
I trust Cashman. He’ll make the smartest possible move that is available to him. As a Yankee fan, I can’t ask for more than that.
You are very lucky to have him (and all the more lucky that no Steinbrenner impulsively fired him).
Cashman has shown he knows what he’s doing. Granted, every GM has made moves that don’t work out but what he’s done is pretty impressive. While he has more control with less interference (looking at you Levine), it feels like he has more restraints answering to Hal.
I’m not sure about that last statement. Much like Angelos’s sons, Hal seems to have some baseball knowledge that he wishes to exercise. That’s not always tantamount to interference.
i know its really rough on cash to build a world series winner with a $230 million budget.
Yep, Sox spent more than that to win last year.
What are they spending to NOT win it this year?
Season isn’t over. I love fans who are more concerned with a group of billionaires profit margins than fielding the best teams possible.
Nah, Hal sets a budget that has been the impediment to getting a front line starter. It’s not baseball knowledge.
Frazier for Caleb smith
LMAO
LMAO
We are laughing because the Marlins should ask for more right?
No need or room for a bat. Correct, though, traditionally Cashman much better at acquiring hitting than pitching.
Smith has progressed well. A solid starter. Worth more than Frazier, yes.
It’s a shame we have to spell that out to yankee fans. Frazier is the same as nick castellanos. No defense and not all that much on offense. Marlins dont need a bad dh.
He hasn’t played a full year of baseball and you already know his future? Scouts don’t agree with you, but you must be better. Defense can always be improved, and every scout says he had the quickest hands to get hits they have seen.
Basically, he’s saying they’ll target starters but if the asking price remains high they add a reliever. He’s also sending a message that they won’t trade high prospects for a rental and have internal options. Not a lot new in any of that.
This is one of the remarkable things about Cash during this stretch of his leadership—no longer willing to go crazy just to add.
its not crazy, its what it actually costs to have a top pitcher. He prefers volkswagens to porsches……
Top,
I agree wholeheartedly….
I also hope they get they get rid their deadwood starring,Edwin Encarnación
Maybe Cash will get 2 pitchers, he will not waste this chance of being number 1 now.
EE has been a bust. Presently looks very unnecessary.
That’s EE. He’s cold one month. Carry a team the next.
Kevin, I am so shocked EEE has done nothing for us. well,anyway, Cashman all in all did some heck of a job getting those kids to play here and there when mostly everyone was going down.
Cashman doesnt do as well with the whole pitching thing as he does with hitters, im sure were going to have a Jaime Garcia type acquired.
That’s because pitching is outlier, nobody does well with pitching. That is always the wild card when it comes to the playoffs, three different teams have won with almost the same line-ups, it’s the pitching that makes the difference. Point in fact, Minor and Lynn both are pitching great this year and the Yanks and Dodgers had them on their team. Only Max Scherzer has been good for the last 5 seasons without a hiccup.
Nobody does well with pitchers? Astros?
The Dodgers also.
red sox, dodgers, cleveland, tampa and every world series winner in recent history. But, other than that…
shoot i forgot even the incompetent Mets…
I feel like the “incompetent Mets” is being redundant. Now that Brodie is at the helm…it’s only gotten worse.
Whitley was supposed to be in the bigs by now, Dallas wasn’t so good last year, and Giles who they payed dearly for punched himself in the face, need I go on. They also drafted at the top for a few years, they had to trade for Verlander and Cole who everyone was trying to get.
Mike Minor never pitched for the Dodgers.
My mistake, I was thinking of Wood.
When were either Minor or Lance Lynn on the LAD?
minor came over with wood from the braves
Garcia is really making a name for himself. What an exciting prospect!
Could of had Dallas Keuchel
I wonder if they hit an impasse with the whole beard thing
Yeah TBD if he’s anymore than a #4 starter anymore.
Or Patrick Corbin. He’s have 10+ wins already on the Yankees
I especially love what Cashman DIDN’T say when he was running through the AL contenders. Notice he didn’t say, “Cleveland’s gonna get better.” Cash knows as well as the rest of us that the Tribe will do nothing to add a significant piece for the stretch drive.
I noticed that as well and made me think he may be tipping his hand a bit by excluding Cleveland given that we know they are interested in Bauer.
They could be sellers, no?
Tribe wants to sell and contend at the same time. Good luck with that.
Cashman will get Wheeler
This is levity I hope.
no it is not.
Wheeler will throw well in The Bronx.
Then you’ve got some serious therapy ahead. Good luck with that.
Why do you think Cashman has considered it?
Wheeler is a good pitcher
Pope he’s obviously trolling.
I significant doubt the Mets will deal with the Yankees because there is too big of a risk that it will go poorly for the Mets. Cashman is one of the best GMs in baseball and Brodie…he is…uhm…popular with T7L and that’s about it.
This is typical cashman PR speak…. When he gets a difference maker ace pitcher I’ll buy into him as the second coming. Until then all he is a bronze medaler at best with a gold standard organizational budget for players, scouts, analytical and technology personnel..
All that talent in yankeedom and no titles. That’s got to be tough.
I fully expect the Yanks to get the best playoff pitch they can. It might not even be someone who is being speculated, like MadBum. Yanks have the division. Nothing short of a true ace will do.
It wouldn’t even surprise me if the ghost of George showed up and they somehow got the deGrom.
The Mets aren’t going to deal with Yankees especially now that they’re polar opposites in performance. I would love deGrom.
i have happy to send you back Happ for nothing more than a molson. In fact to make it fair you take happless back and i’ll buy you a case of it. That guys reeks something fierce.
However and seriously, can you name the last time Cash acquired a difference making pitcher mid season???
Um, we got mckinnie and drury. Like a road block and speed bump.
oh, no worries you can keep those guys or return em so we can trade for a jason vargas type. they are harmless though. Happless is not
Your on, you can take back the total looser Drury and useless McKinney.
done! seriously. you get hapless and his 5 plus era for another 2.5 years at 17 per.
This is when teams understand whether to go for it or not. If you’re in the position to win it all you don’t let minor league prospects from getting what you need. Cashman s position of not wanting to trade Frazier for a rental is a scam on his part. He’s trying to put a high value on him. You find the rental you want and you believe you can wi. The series with them you pay Frazier and more. The competition will be brutal for these players.
The Yankees don’t make trades unless they’re overwhelmingly one-side in their favor. Why teams still allow themselves to get fleeced NY is either a great mystery, or a heavily guarded secret in baseball. Quick, name one trade the Yankees have made in the last 20 years that benefited some other team. You can’t because they only trade away trash or washed up, overpaid veterans for highly regarded prospects in return.
That 2017 trade must be stuck in your craw.
So your point is what?
INFERIORITY COMPLEX!!!
So you don’t have any opinion on the trash trades by the Yankees.
AJ Burnett, for sure.
Yeah, Cashman hit “force trade” and there was nothing your team could do about it. Please. Go whine someplace else because your team sucks.
Chapman and Miller. Both went to world series, one won it.
Another incredibly lopsided trade for the Yankees, and one of the worst trades in cubs history (that’s saying a lot for the poorly managed cubs historically). The Yankees got Torres, and re-signed the best closer in the games months later.
White Sox, you ate xactly right. They hide the iffy prospects so not to expose them, then uses them in trades for top rank players.
lol
“The Yankees are already known to be averse to moving Clint Frazier in such a deal” Really??? Frazier is as good as gone.
They would LOVE to use him in trade. He’s their bait, too bad he’s not any good.
And heaven forbin Yankee fans wait a single second longer than needed for a World Series title.
gluttony noun
glut·tony | \ ˈglət-nē
, ˈglə-tə-nē\
plural gluttonies
Definition of gluttony
1
: excess in eating or drinking
2
: greedy or excessive indulgence
accused the nation of energy gluttony
Spoken well for a mets fan.
More teams in it the better for my Orioles. Teams don’t want to part with top prospects putting the O’s in a great position with Cashner. He’s the best of the 2nd tier hopefully resulting in a team overpaying with mid range prospects or multiple low levels.
Cashman is unlikely to cough up what it would take to land a high-level, controllable starter. It would take a massive haul for a trade partner to give up such an essential roster piece, especially since starting pitching is damn near impossible to replace. There’s just not many great starting pitchers in baseball.
Cashman is pretty forthright. NY will most likely grab another arm or two, but they’ll be role players. If we’re lucky, they grab a rental starter that makes an impact.
I would look for Cashman to add a good relief pitcher if he can, and go into the playoffs with German, Sevy?, Paxton, and Tanaka. They have a killer pen and those guys are as good as what is available at the deadline.
Brian Cashman On Yankees’ Search For Rotation Help
Keep searching you been searching for SP help for 10 years same ol sob story.
Patrick Corbin
Charlie Morton
Dallas Keuchel
Zack Greinke
All would have 10+ wins on the Yankees.
Same story with Cash and the Yankees go take a chance on the Gray’s and the Lynns of the world. Nothing new here they’ll wind up with someone else junk.
You cannot possibly know with any certainty that any of those pitchers would have 10+ wins on the Yankees first of all. Greinke has mental issues and the NY media would be hard for him… Keuchel has not been particularly effective at Yankee Stadium where he’d be playing at least half his games if he was in the Yanks. Morton you may have a case with but there are better options out there … and Corbin might be a ten plus wins but would lock up incredible salary not allowing us to sign or re-sign all those players that would offensively get him the wins. If and when there is an actual ace on the market … then you’ll see Cash act … he’s done it before … CC , Clemens, Randy Johnson and to a lesser extent Kuroda…. he’s also planning for the future in resigning Severino, and trading for German and Paxton…. also going international for Tanaka etc. You’re cherry picking what you want and basically saying it’s habitual with Cashman when it’s historically not.
you really do love cash….. I just don’t get it. The team hasn’t won in 10 years and only has one in the last 15 years on his watch, yet he has more resources at his disposal on and off the field than anyone else.
I’m just perplexed by the free pass you and others give him. It almost like we are not the mets ergo he is great
Most NY sports fans are clueless. Throw some household names on the roster and they’ll kiss your hiney for decades.
You could say White Ford anyone someone will tell you why he isn’t fit for new York. You can say Nolan Ryan and someone will tell you why he’s not good for New York or wouldn’t have so and so wins.
It’s the same old JUNK with this team any why they have not won a WS in 10 years.
Running JUNK out in LF and SP that’s never fixed the correct way only patch jobs.
No … I just don’t like a bad argument. Yes the Yankees have a juggernaut of resources… but spending them stupidly is what got us no farm system and high cost players that aged badly. I also give credit where it is due. Besides … what’s the point here? Are you calling for Cashman to be replaced? I mean if you think there is someone that could’ve done better I’d live to hear those specific arguments. You won’t give Cash credit for the core four he inherited and WS they won… but you’re calling his rebuilding of a lousy farm system, blockbuster trades reaping the Cubs and Indians farm systems, growing talent from within, stealing Stanton and EE , finding Sanchez, Judge, trading for Didi, signing LaMehue who’s in line for MVP… ok what does this guy have to do? So we need an ace…true… are we in a better position to attain one now … or when Sale was in the market? I mean , maneuvering into that position DOES take time … I think considering all these facts… the problem isn’t so much with Cashman… it’s on the standard that you hold him to. No GM could have made you happy here.
Please tell me you’re not comparing Greinke, Keuchel, Morton, or Corbin to Nolan Ryan. Please .. you just gave up any ground you had to stand on in this debate. To correctly rebuild the Starting pitching you need a complete tear down a rebuild to have the trade chips … or you have to overpay in free agency and risk not signing longtime core players. How many tear downs have the Yankees done since the last core four? Ok .. see where this is going? You need trade chips big enough to pry aces away … see Chris Sale… Gerrit Cole… … I don’t care whom our top tier guys are right now… there isn’t a package that could pry Scherzer or Kershaw away from their respective teams. Not without compromising the current core.
And unless you want to change positions and credit Cash with getting any trade chips we might have now… and flipping players like Sheffield for Paxton, or trading for German … or Developing Severino in the first place… all you’re arguing is some irrational opinion and high level expectations. How can you expect a guy to upgrade an entire team in what … 2-3 seasons… and restock the farm system … and switch over to analytics… and try to get the team younger .. and shed crap contracts , replace players like Jeter and Pettite and Mo… I mean what? Like you could do that overnight?
Anytime anyone mentions any player that’s better then the Lynns of the World it’s people like you that find fault in every single player. Anyone of those guys would have been an upgrade. I’ll take anyone of those guys on my team then the junk Cashs keeps getting.
Yeah and you’d be what 1-2 wins closer to the Red Sox last year? That still doesn’t get you over the hump. Is Keuchel better than Happ this year… more than likely … but does he take you to the WS… probably not. And he eats up more cap space and won’t be able to retain players more important toward that goal. And while you’re coming up with some counter to that… at least wait until the trade deadline has passed before you declare how bad Cashmans moves are… the fat lady hasn’t sung this year yet.
i should be clearer- when I talk about Cash and the Yankees resources I am talking about on and off the field. we often only hear about the on the field budget (which again is more than sufficient to build a world series winner)., but i am also looking at the off the field resources.
We should have an advantage in drafting, trading, signing and developing talent because we have the most and best off field organization in the game as well. The Yankee infrastructure is enormous and powerful (the scouting, analytics, technology, and development departments). its a huge advantage. Only the real big dogs like Boston and the Dodgers can sniff us in that regard.
Yet for all that the only starting pitcher we developed better than a #5 in the last decade is Seve??? Maybe German also breaks in but if its barely enough time to declare seve a home run in that regard than german has a ways to go. He destroyed/wasted hughes, chamberlin and kennendy, the killers b stands for bust (yes i know betances- but he is no SP)…etc…
So yeah- i don’t get it. for the record i don’t think he’s a bad GM cause he gets credit for keeping us competitive and getting us to this point but he is not a great one and he does not deserve the free pass he gets when his competition keeps beating him. He’s a B/B-.
lets see what the guy in Tampa could do with an extra 200 mil in player budget and an army of a staff
Well there’s a lot to agree with here. I would argue about the analytics staff… it has only been a few seasons that the Yankees have moved away from gut driven scouting and into sabermetrics and while they’ve had some big successes in Voit Urshela etc… it’s still early in that area. Granted the speed of what growth has been done is amazing, but it’s not surprising given the Yankees net worth and spending ability. I would also definitely argue that the medical staff is a severe area of weakness. For many years now our biggest issue has been keeping players healthy. Yes we’ve invested in a few injury prone guys… but even our stalwarts have had issues staying on the field. So there is room for improvement in that side of the business. You make good points with Development, but drafts picks go higher when the team is worse and it’s a trade off between rebuilding with a draft and constantly staying competitive. We’ve drafted well with lightning in a bottle picks like Judge. And international signings are an amazing strong suit for us. We develop catchers and outfielders better than most other teams … but pitching has been a mismanaged weakness for sure. Pitchers do tend to go higher in drafts however and that leads us back to trying to keep being competitive
Thanks- so to compound my cash is overrated rant is the fact that I believe top SP is the single most important piece….
Cash gets it done this year or needs to step aside and let someone else try
I like that Cashman didn’t include the Indians when listing all the top AL clubs who are going to get better. Smart man