Former Yankee getting cut from Tigers roster emphasizes trade deadline mistake

Brian Cashman set out to do two things last July at the trade deadline. The first was to fix the New York Yankees' struggling bullpen. The second was to revamp the bench, with right-handed pop being the focal point. For the most part, it didn't really work out.

One of those lefty-mashing specialists he brought in was Austin Slater, a guy who managed just 25 plate appearances down the stretch while hitting .120/.120/.120. It's hard to fault Slater for the lack of playing time; he injured his hamstring on Aug. 4, basically immediately after joining the Yankees. That doesn't make the move any less questionable, however.

New York traded a real prospect in exchange for those 25 Slater plate appearances, sending 2024 fourth-round pick and then-No. 18 prospect Gage Ziehl to the Chicago White Sox for his services. Ziehl is now a member of the Boston Red Sox organization. Those services were so impressive that the Yankees wanted him back this winter, offering a big league contract that he declined in order to sign a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers.

As the Tigers pruned their roster in preparation for Opening Day, they decided to give Slater his walking papers. All of that makes you wonder, was it really worth giving up anything of value for him to begin with?

Austin Slater getting cut by the Tigers brings the Yankees' asset management into question

Ostensibly, Slater was a southpaw assassin, but in reality, his .726 OPS against lefties in 2025 was rather pedestrian. While it wasn't his fault he got hurt, he wasn't actually all that great at the one thing the Yankees acquired him to do.

While Ziehl's first pro season was a bit up and down, it's the asset New York used to acquire him that matters. Remember, part of the qualifying offer gambit with Trent Grisham was so that the Yankees could get an additional fourth-rounder in the event he declined the offer and signed elsewhere. Instead, they got saddled with a $22 million obligation.

The logic doesn't quite square. The organization was willing to bet that exorbitant sum of money on the chance they'd land an extra fourth-rounder, while a previous fourth-rounder was just rounding into shape in his first year in the pros and was only worth a middling bench player with one semi-intriguing skill. It's nonsensical.

When you expand that out and look at the Roc Riggios, the Griffin Herrings, the Dillon Lewises, and the Brendan Joneses that they've given away for a collection of players like Jake Bird, Ryan McMahon, and Ryan Weathers, you really start to question Cashman's asset management.

These are mid-tier prospects. They're not worth much on their own (see the returns that they've generated), but as part of larger packages, they can help pave the way for much more impactful players to make their way to the Bronx. On top of that, some of these guys are just starting their careers. Being a mid-level prospect at the beginning doesn't mean they can't grow into more. Carlos Lagrange was the club's No. 17 prospect in 2024. Cam Schlitter began 2025 ranked 12th in the system. Not all blossom, but when they do, they can be worth a whole lot more.

Slater will probably latch on somewhere else, at least for a little while. This isn't really about him, other than the fact that someone of his ilk is almost always available. They kick around the waiver wire and bounce from team to team. Giving up assets for them isn't a smart look, no matter how many times the Yankees do it.