3 moves Yankees should've made at 2023 trade deadline if they wanted to look serious

Yankees Should've Traded for Tommy Pham

Since selling was clearly a pipe dream, based on Cashman's stated plan of attack in the post-deadline scrum, then ... why not throw "lineup balance" caution to the wind and go grab a left fielder who mashes/is in the midst of powerfully mashing this season?

It cannot be overstated: The Yankees do not have a left fielder in place. Securing one would've displayed the bare minimum level of competence necessary to "compete" down the stretch, which their words claim they are hell-bent on doing. Their actions claim otherwise.

Tommy Pham's Baseball Savant profile features a field of blazing red circles. In 2023, he's been good at everything. His .820 OPS would lead the Yankees (non-Aaron Judge Division). His 2.6 bWAR? Can't be topped. His .420 OBP? Aaron Judge hasn't seen a running mate like this since the good old days of 2019.

No long-term commitment? No problem! Pham's a righty, but offense is offense. Handedness has never mattered to this crew before, right? So why start now?

His $2 million remaining salary for 2023 is but a blip on a normal team's radar. Sell one (1) lightly-used Severino, and you might even be able to absorb Pham and get under the luxury tax. Oh, right! The luxury tax! The Yankees are still over its highest level, at the moment. Guess that doesn't matter anymore, either. Add Pham's cash! Add him right on!

If the Yankees wanted to be better Tuesday night than they were Tuesday morning, they would've topped Arizona's offer of 17-year-old shortstop Jeremy Rodriguez, who does not appear in the D-Backs' Top 30. If the Yankees didn't care about moving salary around (apparently, they didn't!), they would've had no issue absorbing Pham's meager sum.

The Yankees traded for Keynan Middleton and Spencer Howard. Bummer.