Acquiring Zach Britton was a solid move by Brian Cashman, but don’t expect that to be the Yankees only move ahead of the trade deadline.
The franchise some fans refer to as the Evil Empire struck out of nowhere last night with the move to acquire Zach Britton. Bringing the talented southpaw to the Bronx was a big move for Brian Cashman. However, it almost certainly won’t be the last move the Yankees make this week.
Swinging a deal for Britton certainly improves Aaron Boone’s bullpen. The unit was already excellent, but trading Britton for Chasen Shreve makes the group pretty close to bulletproof. The former Oriole can help New York as a left-handed setup man or as a closer if Aroldis Chapman goes down. This wasn’t necessary a deal the Yankees had to make, but it was too much value to pass up at a position of legitimate need.
Unfortunately for Cashman, there’s another massive need looming for the Yankees. The team cannot afford to let Domingo German or Luis Cessa serve as their fifth starter down the stretch. German is in AAA currently after getting shelled several starts in a row. Cessa is slated to start this week in his place, but he’s not anyone’s idea of a long-term solution.
The challenge, of course, is that quality starting pitching is a scarce resource at the moment. There’s a reason no starter of consequence has moved yet. The teams that are willing to part with a quality arm are still asking a king’s ransom in return.
For those saying #Yankees needed SP more than reliever: 1. It is still week to deadline, expect NYY will still add a SP. 2. No top-rotation SP appears available, so 1 way to support secondary SP is further build pen to protect the rotation. Can't acquire what's not available.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 25, 2018
That doesn’t mean things aren’t going to change. There are six massive, tension filled days ahead until the trade deadline arrives. Teams that have already made up their minds they’re willing to move a starter will start to drop their prices as the possibility of getting stuck with no return becomes real. It’s easy to ask for a fortune with multiple weeks left in July. It’s a lot harder to stick to those demands when days turn into hours.
Next: Zach Britton will give the Yankees bullpen a big boost
Make no mistake about it, Cashman is constantly working the phones this week to find the Yankees a quality starter. He may not emerge with a legitimate ace, but it’s hard to imagine him not acquiring a solid upgrade over German and Cessa. Cashman already has his price and targets in mind. It’s just a matter of waiting for another team to agree to his terms. That’s good news for Yankees fans and bad news for those who hate the Evil Empire.