GM Brian Cashman: Yankees Could Be “Buyers and Sellers”

New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Kevin Kernan of the New York Post that the team may act as both “buyers and sellers” at the July 31st trade deadline.

Despite the Yankees’ continuing mediocrity in 2016, team officials are refusing to throw in the towel on their veteran club. Still just four games out of the second Wild Card spot going into Wednesday despite sitting below .500 for the majority of the season, a playoff spot is still tantalizingly within reach if New York can mount a sustained winning streak.

Related Story: Even at Fringe of Wild Card Race, Yankees Should Sell

Of course, the same could be said of every American League club outside of Minnesota and Oakland. The addition of the second Wild Card has given a lot of bad teams false playoff hopes the past few years, when they would be better served by rebuilding into a perennial contender. Brian Cashman does not completely write off selling at the trade deadline however, telling Kernan the idea is on the table if their record justifies it and ownership signs off.

Based on their recent history, the Yankees being “buyers and sellers” at the trade deadline likely means selling off veterans who are not controlled beyond this year while targeting more controllable assets. During this partial rebuild, Cashman has targeted young but major league ready pieces he can slot into the roster immediately, rather than prospects who are several years off.

Yankees decision makers have made it clear that they feel a sustained period of losing like the Cubs or Astros endured would be unacceptable in New York. Brian Cashman’s comments would indicate that the team’s plan of rebuilding on the fly while attempting to remain competitive will continue despite mixed results this year. Aroldis Chapman, Carlos Beltran, and Mark Teixeira stand out as three pieces who could be moved to improve the team’s chances in 2017.