Fansided

AL Wild Card 2017: 5 reasons Yankees will win

By Joshua Sadlock

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 30: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees follow through on a fourth inning home run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on September 30, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 30: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees follow through on a fourth inning home run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on September 30, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – JULY 20: Didi Gregorious #18 of the New York Yankees plays shortstop during the game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on July 20, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The Yankees defeated the Mariners 4-1. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – JULY 20: Didi Gregorious #18 of the New York Yankees plays shortstop during the game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on July 20, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The Yankees defeated the Mariners 4-1. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

3. The stars up the middle

Brian Cashman has a fairly easy job as the GM of the Yankees. He has no budgetary restrictions and the blessing of ownership to do whatever it takes to build a World Series contender. In the past, Cashman was left powerless while the Steinbrenners threw around their money and handed out bad contracts to aging veterans. It is only when the spending was tightened ever so slightly that the baseball world was able to appreciate just how talented Cashman is at identifying talent and working the market.

Cashman has been on fire in recent years. He worked the Aroldis Chapman situation to perfection and made the smart call to pull the plug on the 2016 season and deal away Andrew Miller. All of his prized prospects have cashed in, and he resisted urge to trade Aaron Judge or Luis Severino for Cole Hamels in 2015.

None of those moves compare to Cashman’s brilliant trade for shortstop Didi Gregorius and decision to buy low on former Chicago Cubs shortstop-turned-second-baseman Starlin Castro after he played his way out of the starting lineup in the Windy City. Cashman traded Shane Greene for Gregorius and got Castro for reliever Adam Warren, who was later returned as part of the Chapman deal and had a 2.35 ERA in 57.1 innings this year.

Without Gregorius and Castro, the Yankees are likely not a playoff team. Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez get most of the press, but these two middle infielders complete the lineup. Gregorious has 45 home runs and 157 RBI over the past two years with nearly 60 doubles. Castro has hit for more power than his best days with the Cubs and is still being paid under $12 million in 2018.

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