Following a near-perfect first half of the season, the New York Yankees have split their past 10 games. They've played more than 90 games and fatigue was bound to catch up at some point, so the All-Star break can't come soon enough.
But the moment the Bronx Bombers should be looking forward to isn't the All-Star Game but the trade deadline instead, as they're expected to be aggressive buyers.
Cashman Could Make Some Moves
Brian Cashman has usually swung for the fences with mid-season trades rather than spending big in free agency. That will be his MO again this season:
“Obviously, we’re staying engaged,” Cashman told the media. “The job is always to find a way to make us better. You’re always trying to improve your club regardless. t’s always, ‘If not now, then when?’”Outfield Help On The Way?
According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Yankees will look to add an outfielder to make up for Joey Gallo's struggles:
"Cashman wouldn’t mind rejiggering the outfield, maybe by bringing in a contact hitter with pedigree like ex-Red Sox Andrew Benintendi from Kansas City and putting Joey Gallo out of his Bronx-induced slump by sending him somewhere they don’t boo strikeouts," Heyman wrote.More Pitching Couldn't Hurt
Also, they'll be on the phone with the Cincinnati Reds regarding Luis Castillo. However, trading away their top prospects is off the table at this moment:
"The Yankees wouldn’t mind another starter, and they do like Luis Castillo, but with the Reds’ requesting one of two top shortstop prospects — Anthony Volpe or Oswald Peraza — they may end up settling for a depth piece instead," added Heyman.The Luxury Tax Won't Be A Problem
Even so, expect the Yankees to be quite active as the trade deadline zooms in. As Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic pointed out, the luxury tax shouldn't be an issue to bring in more talent via trade:
"The Yankees stayed under the threshold in 2021 just as they did in 2018, enabling them to re-set their penalty rates to the lowest levels. Their current luxury-tax payroll, $ 262.2 million according to Fangraphs, would require them to pay a penalty of about $ 7.9 million," wrote Rosenthal.It's been way too long since the Evil Empire brought the Commissioner's Trophy back to the Bronx, and with Brian Cashman entering the final year of his contract, he can't afford another empty-handed trip to the postseason this time.
]]>The Inquisitr
