ESPN news: Yankees Regrets missing out on decision to pass on the best bullpen alternatives at the trade deadline.
Before the trade deadline, the Yankees had a bullpen issue that they took minimal action to fix, and
Acquiring Jazz Chisholm Jr., who has not only proven to be a reliable third baseman but also has a 1.006 OPS in 26 games since the trade, was one of the better decisions the New York Yankees made around the trade deadline.
Although Chisholm has been a fantastic acquisition to the Yankees, their deadline was far from ideal even with his arrival.
The Yankees took the easy route out even though they had to deal with their bullpen by the deadline. Brian Cashman traded for Mark Leiter Jr. and Enyel De Los Santos rather of going all in to get bullpen help that could have changed the course of the game. The Yankees clearly received what they paid for.
Leiter had a 5.79 ERA in 15 games as a Yankee, and De Los Santos was DFA’d after just five games with the organization due to his extreme struggles.
The situation for New York is made worse by the fact that Brian Cashman, according to Jon Heyman of the NY Post, rejected a high asking price when he had the opportunity to sign at least one of the impact relievers he should have been considering.
The regret of Brian Cashman’s decision to forego bullpen options haunts him
“Although the Yankees made an attempt to acquire Tanner Scott, the Marlins’ offer—which included Miami product George Lombard Jr.—was judged excessive. When Carlos Estevez moved to Philadelphia, they showed little interest in him. The opposing teams gave up substantial packages in both instances.”
The premium relievers were the most expensive we’ve seen recently. Men like Carlos Estevez and Tanner Scott, who were also rentals, ultimately went for absurd hauls. Even though it would have been regrettable for the Yankees to have forfeited a promising prospect like George Lombard Jr. in favor of a rental reliever, acquiring a pitcher with the caliber of Scott or Estevez—whom they oddly didn’t even desire—would have been beneficial.
As the primary closer for the Miami Marlins this season, Scott has a 1.18 ERA; as the San Diego Padres primary set-up man since the trade, he has a 2.12 ERA. The Padres had to give up a lot to get Scott, but he has been a key component of an amazing bullpen that has performed admirably. After 14 games with the Phillies, Estevez has a 1.72 ERA and has only blown one save out of five opportunities.
