Yankees: Jacob deGrom a necessity, not a fantasy for rotation

One day after a miracle storm saved the Yankees from Jacob deGrom, another miracle happened – this time during a dumpster fire of a press conference about Yoenis Cespedes.

While the Mets reeled over the potential loss of their prized slugger, John Ricco, the leader of Citi Field’s triumvirate of GM’s, essentially said there was a chance the Mets might move their ace but wouldn’t say if the Yankees were a potential trade partner.

“We love him,’’ Ricco said of deGrom per the New York Post:

"“We know what we have. He’s one of the top pitchers in the game and in order to move him in a trade, it would take an awful lot.”"

Later Monday night the Yankees moved six games out of first due to dual dismal performances from Luis Severino and Gary Sanchez. You can almost feel a perfect storm brewing between the Brian Cashman-lead Yankees and the indecisive Mets. With the squabbling crosstown siblings in dire need of what the other side has, now more than ever we might see Cashman and the Wilpon lackeys setting aside the wrath of New York media and fans to cut a deal.

A trade like this will hurt and it’ll hurt for both sides at first glance. The Mets will lose the only reason to go to a game and the Yankees will lose some current and future baby bombers.

The question of who gets moved is the tantalizing one. There are the obvious Yankee prospects Cashman can part with. It could be some combination of Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, Miguel Andujar (sadly), Estevan Florial, Albert Abreu, Chance Adams and Luis Medina. They might even be able to sneak in a Brandon Drury since he had two solid seasons with the Diamondbacks.

For Jacob deGrom though, the Mets might want more than potential and Drury. The Yankees might have more to spare too.

With Gary Sanchez costing the Yankees two games since coming back from the All-Star break, his blunders may have been the Baseball Gods politely nudging Cashman into the direction of which Baby Bomber it’ll take to put a trade like this over the top.

An idea like this sounds awful at first. However, with the Houston Astros playing like baseball’s version of the Patriots dynasty and the Red Sox refusing to lose the Yankees might have to trade their All-Star catcher.

Look at these numbers on deGrom. It’s like someone decided to play a season of MLB the Show on rookie mode:

1.71 ERA, 159 k’s, 0.967 WHIP, .200 BAA, 6.1 WAR

With Ricco saying it’s possible at a time the Yankees are 6 games from first, Sanchez could be the odd man out as we come closer to the trade deadline. The Yankees lineup has been so potent, they might not even need him.

Gleyber Torres is ready to light the world on fire again. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are absolutely clobbering the ball. Then you have Miguel Andujar who has been killing the ball as well. In his last 87 at-bats, he’s been hitting around the .300 mark.

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Those guys alone can go hit-for-hit with Houston and Boston’s lineup. It’ll hurt to eventually see Sanchez smash 40-home runs a year with the Mets but something that’ll hurt more is losing to the Oakland Athletics in the wildcard game.

Plus, if a great hitting catcher was so valuable, Boston wouldn’t be so far in first with guys behind the plate who provide very little offensively.

While championships seem to be customary in the Bronx, they are not guaranteed. Not the way they used to be at least. This is why deGrom is a necessity and not fantasy. This isn’t 1998 where the Yankees are far and ahead better than everyone else. This is the kind of game where every great team has a staff of the smartest people in baseball, a handful of fireballers throwing 100 mph, and the best hitters in the game.

Yes, it’ll take a lot but the Yankees have a lot. In fact, both sides have everything the other side needs.

The Mets have that once in a generation pitcher who can face off against other once in a generation pitchers in Chris Sale and Justin Verlander. The Yankees have a slew of young players the Mets can use to do battle with a so-so NL East that’ll soon be without the phenom Bryce Harper.

Next: Yanks and Astros the favorites to acquire Zach Britton

If Brian Cashman and his team aren’t going out of their way in this trade like drawing up orange and blue “Frazier & Frazier” marketing campaigns, Cash is not trying hard enough to win.