Latest Clarke Schmidt injury scare yet another reminder of Yankees' insane trade deadline strategy

More than almost any other New York Yankees playoff run, this October's edition will provide either immediate vindication for Brian Cashman's trade deadline strategy or all-new reasons to directly blame him for the team's failure. It should be fascinating to watch, if you don't actually have much emotional energy invested in the team's well-being. Clarke Schmidt's postgame note on Sunday evening was just another reason to be anxious about the way this bullpen was constructed and the amount of variables therein.

Trade deadline predictions for the Yankees' haul this year were astoundingly easy to make. A catcher, first and foremost. An impact bat, that was obvious. And then two bullpen arms to help save their late-inning core from running aground before the year ended. Maybe one would be a certified ace, a tier below Mason Miller, but still devilish. Maybe another would be a bounce back candidate or a never-was, someone who Matt Blake could unearth. Either way, the choices were many, but the outcome was obvious: CashGod would be trading for some relievers. Plural.

But then the deadline came and went. We weren't disappointed by the quality of the haul, but rather in a whole new way. No catcher? No relievers? Was this a mistake? Is the deadline tomorrow?

Nope. Cashman went all in and decided that either the prices were too high or not commensurate with the talent available. Instead, he would look the other way and ignore the rising cost of wear-and-tear in August and piece together some bullpen reinforcements using alternate levers. The waiver wire became his friend. His rotation became a plucking ground, as did his own Injured List. Will Clarke Schmidt, Ryan Weathers, Luis Gil, Will Warren, John Schreiber and Michael Fulmer be more valuable together than any names he could've added on Aug. 3? That's the bet. We'll see. I have my doubts, but he has his agenda.

And, in case you weren't already lacking confidence, Schmidt's bicep barked on Sunday and prevented him from entering the game, a game that ace reliever Brent Headrick lit on fire with an average fastball that dipped about a mile and a half below his standard velocity on the season. Hmm. If only he could've been rested during the dog days of summer.

Clarke Schmidt's worrisome postgame comments, Brent Headrick outing vs. Diamondbacks tell the same Yankees story

So, for the record, that's Schmidt - after one MLB outing this year - admitting that, out of precaution, he stopped warming up when his arm barked. His rehab was also halted along the way when he felt forearm cramping on Aug. 4, just one day post-trade deadline. The Yankees getting him back to the MLB level after a summer 2025 Tommy John surgery is remarkable. This is not someone a team should be relying on to cover meaningful postseason innings. And yet.

Headrick's stumble comes in an otherwise phenomenal year, and even as he's lost some gas down the stretch, he's still managed to mostly make things work. He's an expert at limiting inherited runners from scoring, and he's alternated spotless outings with troublesome ones post-deadline. No one knows for certain whether bringing on an experienced seventh-inning guy or two in early August would've prevented the effects of overuse from piling up on Headrick's left arm, but we do know having a viable alternative now could help them deemphasize Headrick if he's struggling to recapture his former glory. Batters hit .345 off him in 15 August games.

That group of alternatives probably doesn't, or shouldn't, include Schmidt, who's hanging on by a thread. Again, it'll be Cashman's crew - Schreiber, Fulmer, Warren, and maybe Weathers, who won't be rehabbing in a regular season game - vs. the field to see who's better equipped for October. Fascinating, if it weren't so presumptuous.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow