The New York Yankees find themselves in a bit of a tough spot as the MLB trade deadline rapidly approaches. They're a good team, as their 49-41 record would indicate, but they've struggled mightily of late, and have some obvious holes. They can still do some damage in an incredibly weak American League, but does anyone view them as serious World Series threats? I mean, even if they get there, how much of a chance do they really have against the National League's elite teams? The fact that they aren't seen as favorites falls squarely on Brian Cashman's shoulders.
Cashman has received tons of flak from Yankees fans throughout his lengthy tenure as GM. Some of the flak has been a bit excessive, as Cashman is clearly a good GM, but that doesn't mean he hasn't made mistakes.
These three mistakes in particular can go a long way in showing why this Yankees team just isn't good enough to win the World Series as currently constructed.
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3) The Yankees should have never let Tommy Kahnle go
The Yankees' bullpen has been a major weakness, particularly of late. Sure, injuries, particularly to Fernando Cruz and Luke Weaver haven't helped, but guys the Yankees relied on heavily simply haven't panned out. Devin Williams has been shaky, Weaver has looked lost since returning from his injury, and the trio of Mark Leiter Jr., Jonathan Loaisiga and Ian Hamilton have been untrustworthy. Up and down this bullpen it just isn't good enough. Letting Tommy Kahnle, a reliable arm, walk, has turned out to be a massive blunder.
Kahnle is a bit older and has had his share of injury woes, but he was nothing but solid throughout his two Yankees tenures. Letting him sign a relatively cheap one-year deal with the Detroit Tigers, a team they're chasing, was a bit of a curious decision at the time, and again, has backfired.
Kahnle has a 2.89 ERA in 37 appearances for the Tigers and has been a key late-game arm for them. He's recorded nine saves and tacked on 12 holds. He'd be a perfect late-game arm for Aaron Boone to turn to, but alas.
2) The Marcus Stroman signing has not worked out at all
The Yankees gave Marcus Stroman a two-year, $37 million deal ahead of the 2024 season, hoping he'd solidify the middle of the rotation. Not only has Stroman struggled on the field, but he's been limited to just five starts this season, and he caused drama in spring training after making it clear he had no interest in moving to the bullpen if the team asked him to.
Stroman's first season in the Bronx was underwhelming, but at least he was able to make 30 appearances and give the Yankees 154 innings. This season, again, he's been limited to just five starts and he has a 7.45 ERA in those outings. His strikeouts are down, his walks and home runs are up, and he isn't giving length. He doesn't look like an MLB-caliber starter, especially for a playoff team.
It goes without saying that giving $18.5 million annually to a guy who will almost certainly not throw a postseason pitch in pinstripes is bad business. With the Yankees very clearly having a clear budget in mind, giving a pitcher of Stroman's quality that kind of money has impacted their ability to address other needs on their roster. The one saving grace is that Stroman is almost certainly not going to reach 140 innings this season, voiding an $18 million player option for 2026.
1) Blindly sticking by DJ LeMahieu is unjustifiable
Giving DJ LeMahieu a six-year, $90 million deal ahead of the 2021 campaign made sense given the player he was in 2019 and 2020 for New York even if the term was a bit steep, but blindly sticking by the veteran as he's struggled for as long as he has does not make sense.
Not only has LeMahieu struggled to stay healthy, but he has a .697 OPS since signing the contract. Things have only gotten worse as it has progressed, too, as he had a .527 OPS in 67 games last season and has a .674 OPS in 45 games this season. LeMahieu has been a below-average hitter and has lost almost all of his range defensively, and yet, the Yankees have played him regularly at second base all year long when he's been healthy.
Blaming Cashman at this point for giving LeMahieu the deal he did feels like beating a dead horse, but nobody is forcing him to play him every day or even keep him on the roster. The Yankees' attachment to LeMahieu cost them a chance of adding a viable starting infielder, which has held this team back. Hopefully, the Yankees are willing to bench or DFA him by the deadline.