Yankee GM rightly deserving credit for veteran trades
At about this time last year the “Fire Cashman” faction of Yankee fans was growing louder by the day, and while there was never any indication that GM Brian Cashman’s job was in jeopardy, he certainly deserved his share of blame for the downturn in the franchise’s fortunes. Now, suddenly, his approval rating, if fans were polled on such matters, may well be the highest it has been since 2009, the year Cashman’s free-agent spending spree led to a championship.
It’s not just that the Yankees are the surprise team of this season, but the way they’re winning. The payroll is still high but free-agent dollars aren’t nearly as significant as the combination of home-grown youth, with the promise of more to come, and productive trades.
In fact, while Cashman’s sell-mode trades for top prospects last summer drew so much attention, his other deals in recent years are a major reason for the Yankees’ current success.
Consider these key players acquired in trades: Aaron Hicks, Didi Gregorius, Starlin Castro, Michael Pineda, Aroldis Chapman (originally), Adam Warren, and Tyler Clippard.
And what really makes the deals stand out is that Cashman gave up so little in return — at least so far.
The most significant contributor to another team from those deals is Shane Greene, sent to the Tigers in the threeway trade with the Diamondbacks for Gregorius. After failing as a starter the last couple of years, Greene has pitched to a 1.40 ERA this season in middle relief for the Tigers.
None of the other players is even in the big leagues. Unless you count Warren, who was traded to the Cubs for Castro, only to be re-acquired last year as part of the Chapman deal. Here’s a look at each of the trades: l Castro from the Cubs for Warren, December, 2015: Once they knew they could sign Ben Zobrist, the Cubs were going to trade Castro somewhere, and Cashman had been asking Theo Epstein about him going back to the previous summer.
Though Cashman said he turned down the request for Warren more than once before finally relenting, it seems a bit strange the Cubs couldn’t get more for such a good hitter, even if teams were wary of his free-swinging approach and sometimes-shaky defense.
In any case, after a so-so 2016 season, Castro, still only 27, was hitting .348 as of Friday with a .928 OPS, highest of any second baseman in the majors — by a point over Daniel Murphy.
l Hicks from the Twins for J.R. Murphy, November, 2015: The Yankees thought the former first-round pick had been rushed to the majors by the Twins. Maybe they were right, because after Hicks looked like a bust last season, at age 27 he is putting up big offensive numbers.
The real surprise is that the switch-hitter is pounding the ball as a lefthander, which was always his weak side.
Meanwhile, Murphy has been a disappointment, unable to stick in the big leagues, and as of Friday was hitting .232 in Triple-A.
l Chapman from the Reds for Eric Jagielo, Rookie Davis, Caleb Cotham, and Tony Renda, December, 2015: Cashman took advantage of Chapman’s tarnished status after his domestic violence incident, which scared off the Dodgers, who had a deal in place when the news broke.
Jagielo is the third baseman from Notre Dame the Yankees took six picks ahead of Aaron Judge in 2013, but he has been hampered by injuries and is hitting .230 with one home run in Double-A. Davis was in the Reds’ rotation to start the season, but was sent down after posting a 7.58 ERA in five starts.
Cashman, of course, doubled down on the Chapman deal by trading him last summer for top prospect Gleyber Torres, among others, and then re-signing the Cuban lefthander as a free agent.
l Gregorius from the Diamondbacks via the Tigers for Shane Greene, December, 2014: Gregorius was widely regarded as an all-defense shortstop, but Yankee scout Tim Naehring (now assistant GM) pushed Cashman to trade for him, believing he would blossom as a hitter.
As mentioned, Greene has been good for the Tigers this season in the bullpen after failing as a starter. Meanwhile, the Tigers gave up lefthander Robbie Ray, who has developed into a solid starter for the Diamondbacks.
l Pineda from the Mariners for Jesus Montero, January, 2012: Who knows, the 28-year-old Pineda could go back to frustrating the heck out of the Yankees, but so far this season he has cut down on his mistake pitches and finally looks like a dependable starter.
Meanwhile, Montero has been a major bust. The Mariners gave up on him, and after putting up solid numbers in
PAPI PREACH TOO MUCH
If David Ortiz keeps this up, he might just talk his way out of a potential spot in the Hall of Fame.
Attitudes might be softening on suspected PED users, but the retired Red Sox star was asking for trouble on Friday, saying in a radio interview in Boston that New York must have leaked the story to the New York Times in 2009 that he was one of the 104 players who failed the anonymous survey tests in 2003.
“What was the reason for them to come out with something like that?” Ortiz said. “The only thing that I can think of, to be honest with you, a lot of big guys from the Yankees were being caught. And no one from Boston.”
Ortiz has always maintained that nobody from MLB could ever even tell him what he supposedly failed a test for, and last year commissioner Rob Manfred warned reporters of the danger of false positives in that survey testing.
Nevertheless, by bringing the Yankees into it, Ortiz sounded like someone who is a little too desperate to make people believe him.
COLE MINDER
The price may be climbing by the start for Gerrit Cole ,if the Pirates decide to start a rebuild by trading their ace at the July 31st deadline. Using an effective change-up significantly more than in the past, Cole has been about as dominant lately as any pitcher in baseball. In his last five starts he has allowed six earned runs in 34 innings, for a 1.59 ERA. In those starts he has allowed only 19 hits, to go with 31 strikeouts and six walks. “He’s more than just a power guy now,” an NL scout said. “He’s got 96, 97 in his pocket, but he’s using the change more now, and he’s getting a lot of soft contact with it. It’s a good pitch and it’s keeping guys from cheating on his fastball. “I don’t know if the Pirates will move him, but if they do need to rebuild, now is the time to get the most for him, the way he’s pitching, and before he gets any closer to free agency.” The 26-year-old Cole has two more seasons before he hits free agency, and nobody believes the Pirates will be able to keep him for the long haul. If the Pirates put him on the market in July, he’ll be by far the top option for teams like the Yankees and Astros.