DISCOMFORT ZONE
TWO fourth-place teams a combined 11 games under .500 at the time of the transactions made the boldest moves leading into Wednesday’s trade deadline.
Two days after the Mets landed Marcus Stroman from the Blue Jays, the Reds obtained Trevor Bauer from the Indians as part of a three-team deal that also included the Padres. Thus, the two best starters traded in the lead-up to the deadline did not go to the Yankees or Astros or Braves — first-place clubs hungering for rotation help.
It speaks to the powers of what owners want. The Wilpons want to see the Mets as contenders, now and in 2020, so they landed Stroman. Bob Castellini, the Reds owner, is known to never want to surrender. A rival executive said, “It might not make sense to you, but to Bob Castellini 76 wins is way more valuable than 72.”
So the 49-56 Reds secured Bauer, the pitcher the Yankees most coveted among those perceived available. Yankees-Indians talks never gained traction as the Yankees thought the asking price was too high, especially because they also had concerns about where the righty’s $20 million-ish contract for next year would push a payroll that already projects to well beyond $200 million for luxury-tax purposes.
The Yanks remained pessimistic as deadline day neared that they could obtain any quality starter in a narrow field, made narrower because pitchers such as Texas’ Mike Minor and Arizona’s Zack Greinke have no-trade clauses to the Yankees, who perceive they would have to pay a premium beyond other teams to get the Mets to trade them Zack Wheeler.
That leaves Arizona’s Robbie Ray and, perhaps, San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner. And Brian Cashamn might have to shelve the discipline he deployed yet again in Bauer talks for practicality.
Cashman’s discipline has generally served the Yankees well since they transitioned from the impetuousness of George Steinbrenner to the deliberateness of son Hal. The Yankees operate by a reason and process that has netted them oodles of depth, a strong present and a positive near future.
There are moments, though, when discipline needs a holiday. At this trade deadline measured action is not going to net the Yankees the starter they crave. Supply is low, demand is high. If the Yankees hold to the logic of paying $1 in return for $1 worth of a starter, they are not going to upgrade a staff that needs impact. Even $1.10 might not get it done. Stroman and Bauer already are gone.
So practicality is needed. Or call it pragmatism. It is a step away from theory, from process.
The Yankees, Astros and Dodgers have stood above the sport this year. It does not guarantee a World Series title. But if you had to bet one of that trio or the field, which way would you go?
The Yankees are set up to have other chances in the near future. But this is the one in front of them. And they have only won one title in the past two decades. And, really, if not now, then when?
So if it takes a strong package headed by Clint Frazier to get Ray, then so be it. If the price for Bumgarner, a free agent after the season, is more than the normal rental, that’s life, especially since the Giants were leaning toward not trading the lefty unless they were overwhelmed. Neither Ray nor Bumgarner is an unquestioned ace such as Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander. Ray has command issues; Bumgarner has been more susceptible to allow fly balls and hard-hit balls than any time in his career.
Yet Ray has the stuff to shut down any lineup when on his game. Bumgarner has the big-game pedigree. The Yanks also just need to deepen the current group to avoid burnout of the best of the bullpen before the postseason. Bauer was perfect there as the major league innings leader. Ray has completed six innings in 10 of his last 11 starts; Bumgarner is one of the best workhorses of this era.
Bauer was the lone piece the Reds received. The Padres got Taylor Trammell, one of the sport’s top outfield prospects, from Cincinnati. The Indians landed Yasiel Puig and Scott Moss from the Reds and Franmil Reyes, Logan Allen and Victor Nova from the Padres. Cleveland adds the 20homer-plus righty bats of Puig and Reyes now and the lefty Allen in particular as a starter probably next year.
The Yanks did not find a way to satisfy the now-and-later desires of the Indians, who lead the AL wild card and want to make a run at the AL Central crown, but also want to position themselves for the near future.
Bauer joins a list that includes Scherzer, Verlander, Chris Sale, Gerrit Cole, Patrick Corbin and Dallas Keuchel as starters the Yanks did not obtain because they considered the timing wrong for the big move or did not think requests fair in trades or free agency.
So what now then? The Yanks continue to say they don’t want to give Frazier up in a rental or undersell him. But the Yanks have shown expertise in finding bats from nowhere such as Gio Urshela and Luke Voit. So if Frazier has to go to improve title chances, then he has to go. Where is he playing on a team so overflowing with righty power bats?
I understand Cashman’s hesitance. It took him a long time to convince his bosses to stop building rosters by star hunting, being overly emotional and throwing their wallet at problems. He has constructed a system with scouts and analytics and sports science and psychological and financial breakdowns to avoid the overheated overpay.
But this starting market is not going to honor discipline. And the Yankees need a starter.
In this case, it is better to be practical and land what is needed rather than be disciplined and emptyhanded.