Lots of Yankees fans have questions about letting go of Adam Warren and Tyler Austin. We’ve got the reasons why Brian Cashman is making the moves.
Any Yankees fans expecting a peaceful night before the trade deadline should have known better. Brian Cashman doesn’t like to sit still where there are quality moves to be made. That’s just what the clever GM has done tonight in two separate deals with the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners.
The deal with Seattle sends Adam Warren to the West Coast in exchange for a reported $1.25 million in international bonus money. The 30-year-old reliever had been enjoying a pretty nice season in the Bronx. His ERA of just 2.70 in 30 innings out of the bullpen made him a valuable commodity for Aaron Boone.
Unfortunately, this is Warren’s walk year. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2018 campaign. It’s highly unlikely the Yankees were going to re-sign him given all of the young arm talent waiting in the minor leagues. The recent acquisition of Zach Britton also knocked him another rung down the bullpen pecking order.
In the short-term, you can expect Tommy Kahnle to come up and take Warren’s place in the bullpen. It’s very likely the Yankees think he’s ready to be at least as effective as Warren would have been down the stretch. Essentially, Cashman got an important boost in international bonus money to make what the organization believes is an upgrade to the bullpen. Bringing Kahnle back to the Bronx and almost certainly adding an intriguing young international prospect makes this a good deal for the Yankees.
The deal with the Twins is certainly a bigger gamble for Cashman and company. The Yankees are sending Tyler Austin and Luis Rijo to Minnesota in exchange for Lance Lynn and cash. A cursory glance at Lynn’s pitching numbers on the year are pretty frightening. Adding a starter with a 5.10 ERA doesn’t seem like a great boost for a team trying to catch the Red Sox.
However, closer examination makes it clear that Lynn is a pitcher on the rise. His ERA during his first eight starts of the year was a horrific 7.47. In sharp contrast, his ERA during his last 12 outings is just 3.74. That’s much closer to his career ERA average of 3.54.
Lynn is also a pitcher who will be a free agent this winter, which minimizes the risk of the acquisition. If he pitches well down the stretch, the Yankees could certainly make him a competitive offer in free agency. If not, they can let him walk without any financial repercussions.
https://twitter.com/Yankees4lifeee/status/1024073621319311360
Again, the outlay from the Yankees in this deal is pretty minimal. It’s easy to think of Austin as a prospect, but the reality is that he’s already 26 years old. The fact that he only hit .223 in 132 plate appearances is a real concern for Minnesota. He did flash solid power, but he doesn’t project as anything more than an average regular if he reaches his absolute ceiling. It’s a reasonable gamble for the Twins, but he wasn’t going to break into the Yankees lineup.
It’s possible Rijo could develop into an asset for the Twins, but he’s not currently listed in the Yankees list of top 30 prospects. He fits the profile of a throw-in by the Yankees in this deal. It’s not impossible he could become a quality player, but it’s highly unlikely.
In sum, the Yankees added a pitcher who might be able to crack the top three of their rotation in exchange for a 26-year-old who is blocked by superior players and a pitcher who qualifies as a non-prospect. That’s solid value no matter how you slice it.
The other slightly hidden aspect of this deal is that it could potentially free up several spots on the 40-man roster for the Yankees next season. Warren’s departure obviously creates one spot that can be used immediately. If New York elects to let Lynn walk, that would clear up another spot to protect a talented prospect from next year’s Rule 5 draft.
This continues the trend from the Happ and Britton deals that both worked to either extract value from players who the Yankees were likely to lose for nothing this winter or open valuable spots on the 40-man roster.
Cashman hasn’t swung a massive deal that Yankees fans can truly celebrate yet, but he’s hit two solid singles today. He’s acquired one player who could impact the starting rotation down the stretch and obtained significant flexibility for the franchise moving forward. That’s a pretty good day for the Yankees GM.