Yankees come up empty despite needing help in rotation
The New York Yankees will head into the final months of the season with what they have, faltering pitchers, injured starters and all.
After Masahiro Tanaka failed to hold a two-run lead in a 7-5, rain-interrupted win over Arizona on Wednesday in what became Zack Greinke’s final start for the Diamondbacks, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman acknowledged he had failed to find additional pitching at a reasonable price before the trade deadline passed.
“It wasn’t for a lack of effort,” he said. “We engaged with all teams. Some players, obviously, we didn’t match up for. Other circumstances, those players weren’t really available even though they were widely talked about in the public setting.”
The Yankees’ starting pitching has stumbled, with Tanaka, James Paxton, and J.A. Happ struggling and CC Sabathia returning to the injured list for the third time this year. New York hopes starter Luis Severino and reliever Dellin Betances return from injuries that have sidelined them since spring training.
“We’ve already got what we believe is the best bullpen and some of the best (starting) pitchers in the league,” Romine said. “It’s over, so it’s kind of like, ‘Hey, let’s focus on the group that’s in here and get it done.’”
Yankees fans were hoping for a shiny acquisition — like the one the Astros made when they acquired Greinke from the Diamondbacks shortly after his last pitch against New York.
“Just in there celebrating a win with those guys and looking around the room and knowing we’ve got everything we need to be a championship club,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “That doesn’t change. I have total faith in Brian and their staff in that they’re always gonna do the best for this organization, as far as whether that’s short-term, longterm things.
“So, the fact that something didn’t happen means it didn’t match up. So, we’re ready to roll and move forward now that this day’s officially behind us.”
Elsewhere on deadline day, the two teams vying for the National League East lead played on the field and in the trade market.
While the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves battled through the late innings Wednesday afternoon, there were acquiring bullpen help off it.
The Nationals, in a span of 40 minutes, dealt for Daniel Hudson from the Toronto Blue Jays, and Roenis Elias and Hunter Strickland from the Seattle Mariners. And the Braves, having added Chris Martin from the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night, got Shane Greene from the Detroit Tigers and Mark Melancon from the San Francisco Giants.
In other notable deals, the Chicago Cubs added Detroit’s Nicholas Castellanos to their lineup, the Phillies got outfielder Corey Dickerson from Pittsburgh and the Athletics acquired starter Tanner Roark from Cincinnati.
“When it comes to trades, one thing I’ve learned is, just wait,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “You’ve got to wait until the very end and it plays itself out. The 11th hour is the most powerful hour there is. To get things done before that, it normally doesn’t work to get what you want. There’s the 11th hour at work.”
Several players whose named swirled in the trade winds stayed put.
Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, Mets starters Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler, and Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez remained in place.
“Nothing changed for me. I never expected to be somewhere else until that happened,” Bumgarner said. “I just have a job to do and I’m going to do it. We’re going to miss a few guys we got rid of. That’s going to be tough.”
Major League Baseball made July 31 a hard deadline this year for trades. Now, no deals can be made until after the World Series.