The New York Yankees are trying to work their way out of a free fall that saw them drop from first place in the AL East to third place. General manager Brian Cashman had an active trade deadline to try and stop the bleeding, as he brought in a new third baseman in Ryan McMahon, a shortstop in Jose Caballero, and three new relievers in Camilo Doval, David Bednar, and Jake Bird. Yet, the team just ended a five-game losing streak after being swept by the Miami Marlins.
While Cashman did receive credit from Yankees fans for trying to improve the team, their main complaint was their inability to acquire a starting pitcher. It wasn't an easy task, as there were, realistically, a few available, and they all had high asking prices. As it turns out, the Yankees were interested in some of the big starters, but Cashman just didn't want to cave to the huge asking price.
According to New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman, the Yankees were talking to the Marlins about starting pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera. However, the Yankees and Cashman deceided to end pursuit after the Marlins asked for either of their top prospects — shortstop George Lombard Jr. or outfielder Spencer Jones.
"The Marlins understandably wanted either Spencer Jones or Miami product George Lombard Jr. from the Yankees," writes Heyman. "The Red Sox and Cubs ultimately came the closest, but no one was especially close for the two controllable star starters."
Brian Cashman balked at high asking price for Marlins' Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera
As Yankees fans know about Cashman, he won't give up his top prospects unless it is for a gigantic trade that brings in a superstar. That has backfired on him in the past, as he's seen multiple top players in his farm system regress, whether in the majors or minors. But for Alcantara or Cabrera, Cashman deemed they weren't worth giving up for Alcantara or Cabrera.
Alcantara was the biggest name available, as he is a former NL Cy Young Award winner. The problem is, he is having a horrendous year for the Marlins in his first year back recovering from Tommy John surgery which forced him to miss all of 2024. Through 22 starts, Alcantara recorded a 6.44 ERA, a 1.422 WHIP, a 6-10 win-loss record, 86 strikeouts, and 43 walks in 116.0 innings pitched. Additiionally, opposing batters were hitting .269 against him this year. That's not great.
Cabrera, meanwhile, is having a much better year than Alcantara. In his fifth major league season, Cabrera hold a 3.24 ERA, a 1.190 WHIP, 103 strikeouts, and 34 walks in 100.0 innings (19 starts). Addtionally, Cabrera has held opposing batters to a .228 average.
Contract wise, Cabrera is under arbitration for three more years before hitting free agency, so his asking price would understandably be high. Alcantara, meanwhile, has two years remaining on his relatively affordable five-year, $56 million contract.
Cashman has a high opinion of both Jones and Lombard, and could factor into the team's future plans. Jones could be a starting outfielder in the near future, as Cody Bellinger may not be a long-term option for the team. Meanwhile, Lombard could very well replace Anthony Volpe at shortstop soon, especially if the former Gold Glover continues to make routine errors.
It was always hard to envision Cashman trading away his top prospects, and as it turns out, not even two of the Marlins' top starting pitchers were enough to convince him.