New York Yankees Brian Cashman
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The New York Yankees have until August 31 to make some claims to help bolster their playoff chances. However, the best move for them is to do nothing at all.

August 31 marks the MLB waiver deadline. For the New York Yankees, August 31 should just be another day.

The Bombers made their fair share of moves last season at the July 31 trade deadline and picked up a few necessary pieces to the puzzle during this season’s trade deadline. But some believe the Yankees are not done just yet.

Right now, the Yankees are missing Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, CC Sabathia and now Didi Gregorius, who have all fallen victim to injuries. They could use some depth in the outfield with Judge’s absence. They could also use a decent spot starter instead of having to dip into Scranton each time a starter goes down with injury.

There is a belief that these are moves the Yankees need in order to make their postseason run. However, the New York Yankees will be just fine without making any sort of moves before August 31.

How can we be sure? Nobody can predict the future but the Yankees have won without their superstars before and, quite frankly, the waiver-wire options aren’t worth the risk.

The biggest concern in the Bronx is, surprisingly, the lack of a consistent big bat. While Giancarlo Stanton is holding down the fort in that department with the absence of Judge and Sanchez, those holes are too big to ignore.

But it won’t be forever. While there is still no timetable for Judge’s return, Sanchez will be back soon, monster swing and all. Even with Sanchez not nearly hitting his potential this season, the Yankees have still managed to dominate by picking him up and taking his timely hits.

The options available via waivers for big bats are limited, to say the least. The Yankees have been linked to former Bomber and fan favorite Curtis Granderson. Other options that have emerged have been Adam Jones and Andrew McCutchen. While all are good names, none are incredibly enticing for this team.

Even if the interest was there, the waiver order does no favors for the Yankees. With their second-best record in the American League, their targets would likely be gone by the time the Yankees even have a sniff at them.

Besides, the cost would be far too high for any of these guys. If they did fall all the way to the Bombers, the asking price for the likes of Granderson, Jones or McCutchen would likely be a handful of prospects. With their depth dwindling, why give up the future for a bat that would likely only see the Bronx for a few months?

Of course, the answer many people give is that the focus should be on the now. If adding a bat like Jones or Granderson can help fill that void and win now, the Yankees should take it, right?

The risk is far too high and the Yankees are doing just fine with what they’ve got. Are they a championship team? Who knows? But right now, they are winning games despite missing huge pieces of their lineup.

The chances of the Bombers even getting a shot at these waiver options is highly unlikely. But if they even do, it’s not worth it.

There are ten days left until the deadline and the Yankees should hold their ground. While they may be injured now, the team with the second-best record in the continues to roll despite injuries.

The kids are all right and the Yankees will gain their injured starters back soon enough. Risking a slew of prospects is not the right move. Have no fear: Brian Cashman knows that.


Allison is just a girl with an enormous passion for the game of baseball and the written word. Based in Upstate New York, her life-long relationship with the New York Yankees is something that she developed through close relationships with her mother and grandfather. An aspiring sports writer, she graduated with a journalism degree and is finding places to share her excitement about the sporting world and how it affects us all.