Yankees now facing stunning possibility of becoming trade deadline sellers
All week, we have been talking about the Mets as a team that has to win nearly every day in order to avoid convincing the front office to sell at the trade deadline.
In a shocking development spurred on by their 1-5 road trip, the Yankees now find themselves in a similar position.
According to sources with knowledge of the Yankees’ thinking, team leadership understands that if wins don’t come quickly, they will have to seriously discuss changing course and selling.
While there have yet to be any internal discussions about this pivot, the Yankees know what will happen next week if they fail to reverse their losing ways against the Kansas City Royals and Mets over the next five games.
The Yankees are 2-8 over their past 10 games. Bad stretches happen in any season. What is more concerning is the lack of cushion to survive a stretch like this, considering that Tampa Bay, Houston, Toronto and Boston are ahead of them in the Wild Card race.
Because of their improved run prevention, excellent (until lately) bullpen, and ace in Gerrit Cole, these Yankees are built to win in October as much -- if not more -- than recent versions. But they have to get there first.
So far, GM Brian Cashman and his staff have been preparing to buy, looking primarily for outfield and pitching help.
If they were to sell, Gleyber Torres, Anthony Rizzo, Luis Severino and Harrison Bader are among the veterans who could garner outside interest.
Heading into the Royals series, the Yankees’ staff is trying to wrap its collective mind around why a once-promising season seems suddenly to be spiraling. So many leaks have sprung -- from Rizzo to DJ LeMahieu to Severino to Carlos Rodon to the previously dominant bullpen -- that it is difficult for even trained eyes to understand what is happening.
As previously reported, manager Aaron Boone’s job is safe. Cashman still considers Boone an excellent manager and is said not to blame him for the team’s recent struggles. It is extremely difficult to imagine the front office wanting to move on from Boone after the season, even if the Yankees fail to reach the postseason; the one unknown there is what owner Hal Steinbrenner would do in that scenario.
At risk over the next two-plus months is one of the most impressive runs of success in MLB history. The Yankees have not experienced a losing season since 1992; no other franchise has enjoyed more than 25 consecutive winning seasons in its history.
Cashman, who has been with the team for that entire streak and GM since 1998, must determine if the time is right to wave a white flag on that streak and reset for next season.
In order to avoid that, the team had better start winning, and fast.
