Yankees GM Brian Cashman has more tricks up his sleeve

Over the past couple of years, we’ve become accustomed to Brian Cashman swooping in and acquiring a player for nothing and then watching him produce for the Yankees.

The Didi Gregorius trade, the Aroldis Chapman trade and the Starlin Castro trade have all worked out amazingly for the Yankees. Sometimes the Yankees have traded blocked players for what they really need. For example, the prospects the Yankees dealt for Sonny Gray were all blocked at their positions.

Sometimes the Yanks have traded blocked players for what they really need. For example, the prospects the Yankees dealt for Sonny Gray were all stuck at their positions.

Now it seems like the organization is trying to do the same thing to acquire another starting pitcher.

The Yankees have recently reached out to Chris Archer and Michael Fulmer but were rejected. Now the Yanks are checking in on Yu Darvish with his asking price probably dropping due to this year’s cold stove.

Seemingly out of options, general manager Brian Cashman is now looking for a quality infielder as insurance in case Gleyber Torres or Miguel Andujar isn’t ready out of Spring Training.

Pirates utility player Josh Harrison is the man of the hour. Before Harrison, it was Brandon Drury of the Diamondbacks.

Now, watch Cashman pick one of them up for nothing more than a blocked prospect and a low-level talent.

That’s what he does. Don’t fall for this lull in rumors meaning anything. The Yankees know that they are a piece away from reaching the 2018 World Series. Just because they missed out on their first choices, doesn’t mean Cash has given up.

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The Yanks were rumored to be in pursuit of an arm last offseason; then they waited for the right moment to pick up Gray when the Athletics felt desperate to deal him. The Yankees will probably do the same instead of going all in like the Red Sox did last season with Chris Sale.

It’s not like the Yanks exactly need a pitcher. With 2017’s starting rotation, the Yankees managed a total 3.72 ERA; that’s good for 3rd best in the AL. That’s with Michael Pineda going out once every five days and having Masahiro Tanaka rendered useless for the first half the season.

If there’s one thing the Yankees know it’s the waiting game

The Yankees can take advantage of the fact that they are not desperate. A move where they’d go all in shows desperation. A move like that can lead to not getting the best deal possible. Waiting for another team to get desperate; however, is when you get the very best deal.

Does this mean Cashman isn’t going to deal before spring? No, but it does mean he’ll only do it if the Yankees are on the winning end of the deal.

Can the Yankees avoid the missteps of the Red Sox and Mariners?

So, just because the Yankees plan to get a great player at exactly the right position of need for them, doesn’t mean it’s going to work out that way.

Now when a team feels desperate enough to cash in on a pitcher, that’s when the Yanks will come and make a deal. Just like when the Marlins knew they had no other choice in trading Stanton, that’s when the Yanks will deal.