Major League Baseball’s non-waiver trade deadline is over and the contenders who landed their guys are figuring out where to put them in their lineups or pitching staffs. Usually deadline days are hectic and somewhat chaotic, and this one was no different. Plenty of teams made their deals today. The Dodgers landed Yu Darvish right at the 4:00 PM deadline, upgrading their rotation. They also upgraded their bullpen.
The New York Yankees landed Sonny Gray in a trade with the Oakland Athletics that sent prospects Jorge Mateo, Dustin Fowler and James Kaprielian to the A’s. Both Fowler and Kaprielian are currently recovering from injuries, but all have high upsides.
Yankees Senior VP and General Manager Brian Cashman has been busy in July. On July 19, he traded for Todd Frazier, Tommy Kahnle and former Yankee David Robertson from the Chicago White Sox in return for much maligned reliever Tyler Clippard and prospects Blake Rutherford, Ian Clarkin and Tito Polo. Yesterday, Cashman traded minor league pitchers Dietrich Enns and Zack Littell to the Minnesota Twins for lefty starter Jaime Garcia, who himself was traded from the Atlanta Braves to the Twins a handful of days earlier. Numerous other lesser trades also have been made which can be seen in Yankees transactions.
All these moves were made by Brian Cashman without the team having to part with their best prospects. A’s GM Billy Beane, an excellent executive in his own right, originally wanted Clint Frazier (#2) and Estevan Florial (#4 prospect) in the deal for Gray.
Since Cashman took over as GM in 1998, the experience he has gained has served him well. I am blown away that the Yankees never had to part with their very best prospects while loading up in a big way for a run at a World Series title. Which I must repeat:
Well done, Mr. Cashman. Well done.
The Titanium Spine 