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Yankees: 3 best trades (in recent years) Brian Cashman never made

By Thomas Carannante

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 01: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees base hit against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on April 01, 2021 in New York City. The Blue Jays defeated the Yankees 3-2 in ten innings. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 01: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees base hit against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on April 01, 2021 in New York City. The Blue Jays defeated the Yankees 3-2 in ten innings. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Matthew Boyd #48 of the Detroit Tigers (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
Matthew Boyd #48 of the Detroit Tigers (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /

1. Laughing at Tigers for Requesting Gleyber Torres for Matt Boyd

We’re still laughing, aren’t we? Dialing it back to 2019, the Yankees were in search of pitching, which was evident due to their early interest in Tigers starter Matt Boyd in addition to the aforementioned Ray.

But Detroit’s front office took it too far. According to reports, when the Yankees inquired about Boyd, the Tigers were targeting GLEYBER TORRES in a potential deal. Say what you want about Torres’ regression over the last couple of years in addition to his potential future fit in the Bronx, but to ask for that kind of an asset at the time was delusion at its finest.

Not only was Torres in the midst of his second straight All-Star season (in just his second MLB season!), but Boyd had never finished a single year with an ERA under 4.39. In fact, he finished 2019 with a 4.56 mark in 32 starts, and his 4.32 FIP was right in line with that.

Torres stinking it up for the last 169 games doesn’t even compare to what Boyd’s done. In 2020, the 31-year-old finished with a horrific 6.71 ERA (5.78 FIP) in 12 starts. He led the league in losses (7), earned runs (45) and home runs (15).

In 2021 he saw a considerable improvement (3.89 ERA, 4.10 FIP in 15 starts), but his year was hampered by injuries, which eventually required him to undergo flexor tendon surgery in September that’ll likely affect his 2022. And it’s safe to say he wouldn’t have helped the Yankees at all since their rotation wildly overperformed in 2021.

Wait, it gets better. Torres is under club control through the 2024 season and Boyd was non-tendered by the Tigers right before the lockout.

So, yeah, next time you try to tell us there isn’t a “Yankees tax” on the trade market, we’ll laugh in your face just like Cashman and Co. did to Detroit.

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