3 Brian Cashman trades that deserve more credit after Yankees' World Series berth

Although Brian Cashman has caught a ton of ire from New York Yankees fans over the last 20 years, he's still one of the best executives in the game despite his faults and missteps. It's just true. There are many other big market teams in terrible shape, and the Yankees never find themselves in rebuilding periods that are unbearable to experience. Cashman must be credited for that.

Again, we can run through a lot of Cashman moves that have set the Yankees back in some manner. But this team has made it back to the World Series for the first time since 2009. It is time to celebrate. It is time to spread good vibes. It's time to pull out some old receipts and apologize. It'll feel good, trust us.

New York clinched their berth in the Fall Classic by going 5-2 against the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians, but they really turned it up during their road games at Progressive Field late last week, and some unlikely names have emerged to become undeniable assets.

There definitely exists the reality that some of these moves took too long to materialize or were characterized as too much of a rollercoaster experience, but the final step toward achieving the end goal is now on the horizon thanks to these trades.

3 Brian Cashman trades that deserve more credit after Yankees' World Series berth

Yankees trade prospects Jack Neely and Ben Cowles to Chicago Cubs for Mark Leiter Jr.

Mark Leiter Jr. was left off the ALDS roster. He was left off the ALCS roster. He was largely characterized as a disastrous trade deadline acquisition because of how badly the bullpen needed help and how little Leiter Jr. ended up providing (4.98 ERA, 5.24 FIP and 1.71 WHIP in 21 2/3 innings).

The right-hander was supposed to be a high-leverage addition and instead turned into a wasteful innings eater. But then Ian Hamilton got injured in the ALCS and changed everything.

Leiter Jr. was added to the roster as a result and was immediately thrown into the fire, much like he was against the Phillies in Philadelphia a day after the trade deadline. Though he committed a ghastly error in Game 4 that nearly handed the Guardians a win, he came in and logged 2 1/3 innings of work during very stressful moments of Games 4 and 5. It wasn't the prettiest, but he helped the Yankees advance in their two most important games of the series to date ... after not having pitched since Sept. 29.

This might not go down as a legendary, but right now nobody is thinking of Leiter Jr.'s poor regular season. We'll just say that.

Yankees trade Aroldis Chapman to Chicago Cubs for Gleyber Torres (and others)

In 2018 and 2019, there was no question this was one of Cashman's best trades ever. He sold a rental to the Cubs for four assets and then re-signed Chapman the next offseason. The definition of taking advantage of a contender in need.

Torres was among the best players in baseball in 2018 and 2019, but then fell off a cliff. His 2020-2022 campaigns were bad and characterized by drama and mental lapses. Even though his 2023 numbers, when all was said and done, looked good, the mental mistakes persisted and he really only improved his offensive output over the final six weeks of the season to recover from such an awful start.

Ditto for 2024. Torres was bad/underwhelming until mid-August, when Aaron Boone decided to move him into the leadoff spot in the lineup. Torres responded by filling a void the Yankees desperately needed fixed. He set a Yankees playoff record so far by getting on base in the first inning eight times (the record was six) and he's helped set the table for Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. He's logged 11 hits and seven walks while scoring nine runs and driving in five.

Right now, nobody even wants to think about Torres' previous transgressions. His plate approach has completely changed and his defense has tightened. In fact, some fans might be wondering what a contract extension for Torres could look like as he heads towards free agency with a red-hot market.

Yankees trade Starlin Castro and prospects Jorge Guzman and Jose Devers to Miami Marlins for Giancarlo Stanton and cash considerations

The Giancarlo Stanton discourse got dark. For a very long time. And no Yankees fans can sit there with a straight face and say they haven't criticized it in some way, shape or form. When Cashman traded for Stanton, the fanbase was thrilled, and they viewed it as a way for the Yankees to change the game. Trade for Stanton and get him on a good deal because the Marlins were desperate to get out of his contract, and chase either Bryce Harper or Manny Machado next offseason. Perfect.

Except ... the Stanton trade essentially acted as the Yankees "big free agency expenditure" and New York remained out of the high-end market until they realized overpaying for Gerrit Cole was a necessity. We just keep wondering what 2018-2022 might've looked like if the Yankees properly supplemented a talent roster that had very obvious holes.

Over that span, Stanton's injuries and performance became a problem. He's been limited every single season since 2019. Over that period of time, he slowly became the team's permanaent DH, which locked in a $30 million AAV player to one side of the ball. And because he struggled with consistent playing time due to his injuries, his play cratered. The flashes were still there, but in terms of being a fearsome, elite middle-of-the-order threat? Those days were over.

But Stanton's ace in the hole was always his performance in the clutch. He carried the team in 2018 when Aaron Judge was injured. His one appearance in the 2019 ALCS completely flipped Game 1 against the Astros. He was the entire offense during the 2020 ALDS and 2021 Wild Card Game. He propelled New York in Game 5 of the 2022 ALDS with a first-inning two-run homer.

This year? He's gone completely nuclear. Stanton has five homers and 11 RBI in nine playoff games. His late homer won Game 3 of the ALDS. His clutch effort nearly made for a legendary comeback in Game 3 of the ALCS, had the Guardians not spoiled it late. But he responded in full force with game-changing home runs in Games 4 and 5. He won the ALCS MVP. He is the main reason the Yankees have made it this far.

We know how difficult it's been to watch seven full years of the peaks and valleys that are Giancarlo Stanton, but the right outcome in the World Series can make all of the pain go away. And we'd love an outcome where the polarizing slugger can live on in legendary Yankees lore.