New York Yankees next, final transaction may just mean everything

The New York Yankees will have to make another move before Aug. 31st to solidify their chance of keeping pace with the rest of the American League.

The New York Yankees may be in a laid-back part of their schedule, but if there is one thing that simply can’t be predicted, it’s injuries. And boy do the Bombers have them.

Without further ado, here is your current list of injured Yankees:

1. Aaron Judge
2. Gary Sanchez
3. CC Sabathia (returns Friday)
4. Clint Frazier
5. Didi Gregorius
6. Aroldis Chapman
7. David Robertson (who’s been dealing with shoulder tenderness)
8. Oh yeah … and Jacoby Ellsbury

The Yankees will face their toughest test of the year up to this point. When the two, three and five hitters in the lineup are all on the disabled list, one must expect struggles to occur. While in Miami playing against the bottom-feeding Marlins, the Yanks split a two-game series prior to their three-game set in Baltimore starting Friday.

With CC Sabathia lined up to return Friday against the Orioles, the rest of the walking wounded is still weeks away from a return, while Chapman was recently placed on the DL for left knee tendinitis, retroactive to Wednesday.

The Yankees ultimate test will be measured in the next month and a half. Their next move, however, may be “the end all, be all” when they take a look back at this season. Brian Cashman is once again on the clock.

The chances of winning the division are still slim at this point. While the Yanks did gain two games on the Red Sox this week, they have two other teams close in the rearview mirror: the Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics.

As it stands, the Yankees own a three and a half game lead in the top spot of the Wild Card standings. But, with the pace the A’s and Stros are playing at along with the closely-trailing Mariners, the Yankees have no chance to take a breath. Contrastly, every night has almost turned into a “must-win.”

If nothing else, Cashman should be kicking tires on the players you are about to see. Remember, we are now in the waiver-deadline period, meaning teams have up until Aug. 31 to make a deal with a team. Here’s a refresher on waiver-trade deadline details:

• When a player is on waivers, any team can submit a claim. If more than one team claims that player, the teams in the respective league have first priority.
• The teams with first priority are the worst in the league, record-wise on that date the player was claimed. So if an N.L. player is claimed, the worst National League team that day will have first shot, followed by the worst team record in the American League.
• If a player is claimed, the original team has three options: trade him, pull him back off waivers, or just simply let him walk.
• Once a player goes through two days with no claims he is considered “passed through waivers” thus meaning any team in the league can make a deal for him.

Furthermore, if a player is dealt after the Aug. 31 deadline, they are not able to be eligible for the postseason.

So Yankees brass and fans alike, please don’t panic because like Tony Soprano once said, “You got options. Don’t let anyone ever make you feel like you don’t have options,” and here they are:

Option No. 1: OF, Andrew McCutchen

Probably the most prominent name on this list, Andrew McCutchen leads the way as the No. 1 option for the Yankees during the waiver deadline. McCutchen is on another struggling team this season, as the San Francisco Giants have fallen out of the playoff race for the second consecutive season.

As for his season, he has not been the player the Giants saw when they traded for him. He’s hit .255 up to this point and has only driven in 53 runs to go along with his 14 homers on the season. He is flirting with career lows all along his slash line and is coming near, if not already, the decline of his career.

That said, there is a significant purpose he poses on a team that is in the midst of trying to make the playoffs … and maybe that same team is also pretty banged up.

Andrew McCutchen makes a lot of sense for a ton of teams, if not all. According to SpotTrac, McCutchen has $2.5 million remaining on his salary for the 2018 season. The 2018 Yankees luxury tax payroll remaining is roughly $3.2 million, so ideally a McCutchen–New York marriage could very much work.

The question arises when Aaron Judge returns from the disabled list. If they were to pull off a deal for him, would McCutch be content with coming off the bench in a playoff series? It remains to be seen but one thing for certain, no other team would pose the threat of a bat like his being able to come off the bench in a crunch situation.

Option No. 2: OF, Curtis Granderson

Is a Grandy Man reunion on the horizon?! The former Yankee and Met have been a rumor for most of the second half of the season.

What’s intriguing about Granderson is his classic lefty-pull swing. A swing that produced 115 career home runs alone with New York is reported to have passed through waivers. The concern remains how much he has left in the tank and if he is still built for the short porch at Yankee Stadium.

His .242 batting average and 11 homers don’t get anyone too excited, but it’s his veteran leadership and clubhouse presence that really entices one’s self. Remember, the only way he see’s time is in the absence of Mr. Judge, but this left-handed bat is also another good option to have come off the bench in a pinch-hit situation.

What’s also a plus for Grandy is the cost of what it would take to land him. Figure a Major League ready minor leaguer that isn’t a prospect should be able to get the Grandy Man. The idea of Granderson is really based on not having to give up much of anything in comparison to a player like McCutchen or the next outfielder on this list.

Option No. 3: OF, Adam Jones

First things first, Adam Jones owns a full no-protection trade clause in his contract. So for this type of deal to work, he would need to sign off on it in order to be moved to another team.

Bearing that in mind, Jon Heyman of Fancred had this to report on Jones in the recent days,

“Sources close to the team suggest though that Jones might be more likely to consider an AL team, where he’d have a chance to DH as well as play the outfield, or perhaps at least a team with a clear need in the outfield.”

That seems to make a perfect fit for the Yankees. He would have a chance to DH and play the outfield because let’s be honest, the Yankees have a clear need. Giancarlo just returned to playing right field but was also nursing a sore hamstring, so having Jones has a safety net and let alone starter is significant.

For those who remember, the Orioles had a deal in place to trade Jones to the Phillies. That, unfortunately, fell through due to Jones not having any desire to play there and when asked why he declined to shed light on the situation.

So, if Jones were to waive his no-trade clause, he would bring his .283 batting average and veteran experience with him. In regards to “clutch stats”, according to Baseball Reference, when his team is playing from behind he has hit .330/.364/.478 which in essence shows how productive he can be to get his team back into a game. It’s been a common trend for the 2018 Yankees where they seem to take a few innings to get a jolt or rhythm in their lineup.

Not to mention he is also a .313 career hitter against the Red Sox … wink wink.

Jones is another name, in contrast to Granderson, who would have a tough time coming off the bench. He has been all-star and started just about every season of his career. It begs the question, how bad does he want to win? Or would he rather be productive on a losing team, the worst in baseball?

Either way, he makes a perfect fit for the Yankees as they try to replace so many crucial positions in their starting nine.

What the Yankees must realize is that no one player can replace the production of Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Didi Gregorius. All they must do is “get to their numbers” per se to help right the ship before they return. We know at this point in all their careers, the names mentioned aren’t highly regarded as they once were but offer a lot to be desired playing for a championship contender.

Each player is also regarded as class-act ballplayers and great clubhouse presences. They qualify perfectly with this Yankees ballclub that looks like it needs a boost of energy at times… at times.

Another veteran to pair with a lot of young talents makes the most sense. They are in dire need of some clubhouse leadership since Judge’s wrist injury and DL stint. It’s a lot easier to lead on the field than it is the bench. And I’m absolutely not ripping Aaron Judge or the coaching staff, but sometimes a team needs another voice and a fresh one for that matter.

Just like Todd Frazier offered the Yankees a year ago.

Nevertheless, this the final exam for the Yankees. With roughly a little over a month left in the season, the next move the Yankees make will be the most crucial.

And could evidently lead to another magical October … or a dreaded, early exit.