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Yankees: NYY blow it at the trade deadline with zero acquisitions

By Thomas Carannante

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talks on the phone prior to a Grapefruit League spring training game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees at FITTEAM Ballpark of The Palm Beaches on March 12, 2020 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Many professional and college sports are canceling or postponing their games due to the ongoing threat of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talks on the phone prior to a Grapefruit League spring training game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees at FITTEAM Ballpark of The Palm Beaches on March 12, 2020 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Many professional and college sports are canceling or postponing their games due to the ongoing threat of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Yankees GM Brian Cashman made zero trades before Monday’s 4 p.m. deadline.

Last week, rumors had suggested New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was targeting “pitching, pitching and more pitching.” He later confirmed that in a video conference call with reporters.

Then, we learned the front office was intrigued with a “surprise outfielder” (Starling Marte) and a utilityman (Jonathan Villar). Enticing. Sounds great? We’re not sure, we just want pitching.

Well, here we are, after 4 p.m. on Monday and the Yankees … did nothing.

Have we been blinded by the resurgent three-game winning streak?

They watched Mike Clevinger go to the San Diego Padres, which one could say was a mistake. The Pads, according to evaluators, really didn’t decimate their farm system to make this deal happen. We’re now entering an age of Yankees baseball where the front office is scared to trade prospects, when previously George Steinbrenner would hand out the pipeline for an over-the-hill veteran accompanied by a coke machine.

Which of these is really a better attitude? OK, obviously the current mandate, but still!

The Yankees have a core and they have a ton of other prospects they can utilize in the present and future. This deal, based on the return, seems like it would’ve been attainable for the Bombers, though it could be said Clevinger would’ve been a risk in terms of character given how he was driven out of Cleveland.

On top of that, we watched Mike Minor go to the Oakland Athletics! Yup, the Rangers traded within the division and the price for the left-hander — which the Yankees need badly — was their No. 13 and 19 overall prospects…

Why couldn’t we get that deal done? Why does this seem so hard?

Please don’t tell us one sexy start from Deivi Garcia tipped the scales here. Or that back-to-back promising outings from JA Happ will change the narrative around the left-hander. The Yankees can’t afford to bank on any of those things.

The saddest part? Cashman didn’t even go out and get one of the pitchers fans didn’t really want in Dylan Bundy, Kevin Gausman and Taijuan Walker. Now, there’s no answer to actually solidify the back end of the rotation.

It’s just maddening how it’s come to this. The 2017 and 2018 deadlines were pretty fun, but 2019 and 2020 have now largely disappointed. It seems so many other teams making trades to upgrade their roster where the needs are greatest make it look easy … and when the Yanks do manage to make it look easy (Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn), it blows up in their face.

In summary: countless injuries, no acquisitions at the trade deadline, Rays up 3.5 games in the division, pitching staff still a colossal question mark.

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