The Yankees need to bolster their ranks ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline. Here are five questions Brian Cashman must answer.
The Yankees entered the 2020 season with a singular goal. Anything short of a World Series title will be deemed a failure for Aaron Boone’s team. That puts a ton of pressure on Brian Cashman and his front office to strengthen the team before the MLB Trade Deadline.
Injuries are preventing the Yankees from maximizing their potential at the moment. Aaron Boone, Giancarlo Stanton, D.J. LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres are all missing from the everyday lineup. James Paxton is on the shelf due to arm issues. Those injuries have contributed to a five-game losing streak for the Yankees heading into Friday’s doubleheader with the Mets.
It’s clear the Yankees have to make some moves ahead of next week’s MLB Trade Deadline. To inform those moves, Cashman and his front office need to answer the following five questions.
5. Does the bullpen need another arm?
Tommy Kahnle is going to miss the rest of the season due to an elbow injury. Zack Britton is on the shelf at the moment too. The Yankees even released Luis Avilan on Friday to create some roster space required to help the team in the short-term.
At the very least, it seems like the Yankees should be open to the idea of adding some bullpen help. Acquiring another left-hander to replace Avilan, and hedge against Britton missing more time could be a particularly prudent move by the front office.
The idea of acquiring another flamethrower from the right-hand side isn’t out of the question either. Adding to the bullpen could be a relatively cheap way for the Yankees to bolster their pitching staff. If the asking price for starting pitching is too high, Cashman will look to shorten the game by adding an impact bullpen arm.