The Yankees front office hasn’t given up on Greg Bird, but Brian Cashman still should’ve pulled the trigger on a trade for Justin Smoak.
Brian Cashman insists the New York Yankees haven’t had an opportunity to add an impact bat this month, but that isn’t exactly true. A lot of the players who have cleared waivers wouldn’t be good fits for Aaron Boone’s club, but Justin Smoak could have thrived in the Bronx.
Per the New York Post, the Toronto first baseman is one player who has cleared waivers. That means the Yankees would have been free to deal for him. Cashman would have needed to offer a meaningful prospect to pry Smoak away from the Blue Jays, but it’s a risk the organization should have taken.
Smoak isn’t the outfield replacement for Aaron Judge the fan base craves at the moment, but he would’ve provided the club a significant upgrade over Greg Bird at first base. Cashman is still high on the Yankees’ current 25-year-old first baseman, but his struggles this year have weighed down the team’s attack.
Bird has been a negative at the plate this season. His WAR of -0.2 illustrates that fact to perfection. He’s still capable of hitting the ball out of the park with his smooth, left-handed stroke, but he doesn’t get on base nearly enough. A batting average of .211 coupled with an .OBP of just .303 simply isn’t good enough to be in the Yankees everyday lineup.
More from New York Yankees
- Yankees: Aaron Boone gives optimistic return date for Aaron Judge
- MLB Rumors: Yankees-Phillies trade showdown, Mariners swoop, India goes to Seattle
- MLB Rumors: Cardinals budging on Arenado, Orioles-Ohtani package, Yankees backup plan
- Yankees fans fear Drake Curse after Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton concert appearance
- MLB standings ordered by hard hit rate: Struggling Cardinals still cracking bats
The reported reason the team didn’t move for Smoak is because of his contract situation with the Blue Jays. He has a $6 million option for next season that he’s very likely to pick up. The Yankees don’t necessarily want to commit that type of money ahead of their potential free agency moves. From the Blue Jays’ perspective, they see the potential cost control on Smoak as a net positive for a team that might acquire him. They would expect the Yankees to give up a better asset due to the potential to control Smoak for another season.
Despite those factors, Cashman should have taken the plunge. The plain truth is that Smoak is a much better player than Bird is at the moment. His WAR of 2.4 on the season is clearly an upgrade over what Bird has produced this season. His .255 average isn’t great, but he’s shown solid power for the Jays. Adding 18 home runs and 60 RBIs to the Yankees lineup would be a big plus for Boone.
J.A. Happ has been a huge help for the Yankees after arriving from Toronto, but he’s not the only player the Yankees should have acquired from the Jays. Cashman deserves criticism for not pouncing on Smoak when he had the chance.