Without any enticing trade offers, the New York Yankees remained quiet during the relatively calm trade deadline.
The 2023 MLB trade deadline was a seller’s market. With a majority of teams still alive in the playoff hunt, there just weren’t any of those blockbuster deals we’ve become accustomed to seeing around this time of year. The New York Mets did unload their pair of aging aces to rival AL West opponents. The Texas Rangers traded for Max Scherzer in order to fill the void left by an injured Jacob deGrom. Not to be outdone, Justin Verlander was dealt back to his former team, the Houston Astros.
On the offensive side, a few big bats changed teams before the 6 p.m. trade deadline. The Cleveland Guardians shipped Josh Bell to the Miami Marlins, and the St. Louis Cardinals traded Paul DeJong to the Toronto Blue Jays. Nolan Arenado, who was rumored to be on the radar of several teams, stays in St. Louis, at least for the remainder of this season. With only a few Major League trade chips and an unwillingness to part with prospects, the Yankees remained unusually quiet.
Yankees Remained Quiet at the Trade Deadline
The Yankees Trade For Bullpen Depth
One of the moves the Yankees did make during the trade deadline was dealing for Keynan Middleton, a hard-throwing relief pitcher from the Chicago White Sox. Middleton made his big league debut in 2017 for the Los Angeles Angels. After showing tremendous upside to start his career, Middleton has been hampered by injuries and inconsistency. In 2023, Middleton sports a 3.96 ERA and has punched out 47 hitters in 36 1/3 innings pitched. A major downside to Middleton’s game has been his wildness. His 3.96 BB/9 puts him in the bottom half of all qualified relievers. The team sent RHP prospect Juan Carela back to the White Sox in exchange for Middleton.
The Yankees also acquired pitcher Spencer Howard from the Rangers for cash considerations. Howard’s career -2.1 WAR in 115 IP makes this move a head-scratcher. Spencer’s 1.670 WHIP throughout his career showcases his inability to keep runners off the bases. Perhaps the team sees something in Spencer that his previous clubs missed. Pitching coach Matt Blake has worked miracles before, but this might be a little much, even for him.
The Yankees Had A Few Trade Pieces
Despite some reported interest from the Marlins, Gleyber Torres remains a Yankee. According to Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media, the Yankees asking price for the 26-year-old second baseman was too unreasonable for Miami. “Marlins have been pushing hard for Torres, but the Yankees’ asking price has been too steep for their liking — two 25-year-old starting pitchers, right-hander Edward Cabrera and lefty Braxton Garrett, plus two prospects.”
It makes sense for the Yankees to want to sell high on Torres. His .741 OPS is currently second on the team behind Aaron Judge. Without many other offensive threats in their lineup, the club couldn’t afford to part ways with Torres unless well-compensated. Harrison Bader was another possible trade piece for the Yankees that may have brought back a decent return. With an expiring contract and elite defense, Bader could have proven valuable to another postseason-bound team.
Harrison Bader for the lead! That's his 5th home run of the #postseason! pic.twitter.com/4WzjazoqOB
— MLB (@MLB) October 24, 2022
The Yankees likely see more value in bringing Bader back on a short-term deal. Bader became an instant fan favorite in 2022, thanks to his passionate play and clutch hits in the postseason. He can bridge the gap as the team waits for their top prospects to develop in the minors. Jasson Dominguez remains the team’s most promising young talent. Although he struggled to start the year in Double-A Somerset, Dominguez is hitting .281 in his last 30 games. The team may also look to give outfielder Everson Pereira some MLB at-bats before the end of the season. Pereira is currently hitting .325 through 18 games in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa had an interesting take on why fans saw the Yankees remain quiet on the trade front. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, IKF puts the majority of the blame on the players. “We really haven’t helped our case. We’ve tried to play better but we haven’t. We put the front office in a weird spot. So whatever they do, it’s on us. Nothing we can really do about it.”
It’s an understandable viewpoint coming from a player that has first-hand experience being traded. But IKF’s words do little in easing Yankees fan’s minds. The team is currently in last place in the formidable AL East and there are no signs of a hot streak on the horizon.
The fact that the Yankees remained quiet at the trade deadline shows their unwillingness to commit to a direction. With a floundering lineup and an overworked pitching staff, the team’s playoff hopes grow dimmer every week. The Yankees could have fully committed to their youth movement and opted to move on from their aging and slumping core. By not being able to pick a lane, the team may be prolonging their timetable until they become title contenders once again.
Main photo credits:
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Players mentioned:
Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander, Josh Bell, Paul DeJong, Nolan Arenado, Keynan Middleton, Juan Carela, Spencer Howard, Gleyber Torres, Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett, Aaron Judge, Harrison Bader, Jasson Dominguez, Everson Pereira, Isiah Kiner-Falefa
