Baseball: A Two-Way Player

Chapter 694 31: Make the Yankees Great Again

This season, the Yankees have only managed a paltry 75 wRC+ (Weighted Runs Created Plus) at first base, ranking second to last in the entire league, only ahead of the Los Angeles Angels.

This issue actually existed last season, but during the offseason, Cashman did not make any improvements to this position, opting instead to promote the young Greg Bird from the farm system. Unfortunately, his performance since the start of the season has been disastrous, and after being sent down to the minor leagues to regain his form, he was hit with injuries again;

Chris Carter, picked up from the free market for not much money, not only failed to contribute to the team but instead became a liability with an OPS of only .669, unable to field or run;

The team's current main first baseman, Tyler Austin, although he has an OPS of .734, ends over 40% of his plate appearances with a strikeout.

After this series of maneuvers, the firepower the Yankees can contribute offensively from first base is almost zero, and since first base is not a position with heavy defensive weight, it has made the current situation rather awkward—if the Yankees' goal is truly to make it to the October showdown, they must bolster the first base firepower, which has been weak for two years.

As for the bullpen, do not only look at the data, where the Yankees' bullpen ranks first over the other 29 teams, as there are actually significant hidden dangers—why did the Yankees lose so many games against the weak Angels and Athletics during the California expedition? It was due to the usually steady bullpen suddenly collapsing and catching everyone off guard.

Apart from Aroldis Chapman and Dellin Betances, who continue to excel and have impressive strikeout abilities, the other members of the Yankees' bullpen are extremely prone to blowups in high-tension situations—especially Tyler Clippard, who performed well last season but this season has seen a dramatic increase in his walk rate and home run rate, making Yankee Stadium—a hitter-friendly park—a nightmare for this fly-ball pitcher.

This situation gives Cashman ample reason to look for another reliever who can handle high-pressure moments to help Chapman and Betances during crucial times. Otherwise, the team might crumble in critical postseason moments, letting an entire season's efforts go down the drain.

Compared to the imminent issues with first base and the bullpen, the starting pitchers are in a position where the Yankees might or might not need reinforcement—but it's best to have some supplementation:

Lin Guanglai and Luis Severino, two low-cost youngsters, have been perhaps the biggest surprises for the Yankees this season—the former speaks for himself, being a top candidate for the American League Cy Young Award; the latter also shone brightly this season, posting outstanding records and currently ranking high at fourth for the Cy Young Award.

The team's former ace, Tanaka Masahiro, has been plagued by injuries, resulting in the worst performance of his career in the U.S. and is now down to the team's third starter, but he has recently rebounded, rediscovering his velocity and control; coupled with veteran Sabathia's presence, even in the postseason, the Yankees' starters should suffice in most situations, theoretically negating the need for additions.

But as the general manager overseeing the team's overall operations, Cashman cannot only focus on this season: after this season ends, several members of the starting rotation will become free agents. If considering the future, now is the time to use some resources to trade for some pitchers with longer control years and who aren't too old—this way, even if the Yankees fall in the postseason this year, they can at least fill a spot in the starting rotation during the next offseason.

Moreover, when the postseason hits a dead end, using a starting pitcher for relief is also an option within consideration, stockpiling talented arms is never a loss.

While the Yankees steadily advance their trade enhancements, with the trade deadline approaching, trades within the entire Major League have started to fly around, overwhelming all professional media and fans at once.

The first to act were last season's World Series champions, the Chicago Cubs, who, aiming to defend their title this new season, decided to convert all the uncertain potential in their farm system into actual combat power. By using a package including top-5 nationwide outfielder prospect Eloy Jimenez and the 83rd top prospect right-handed pitcher Dylan Cease, valued close to 100 million US Dollars, they acquired Chicago White Sox's ace left-handed pitcher Jose Quintana.

The Cubs are currently 5.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in their division, but their team strength remains far ahead in the NL Central division, maintaining a significant chance of winning the division championship. Choosing to trade for Quintana, who still has several years left on his contract, is advantageous for the team's post-season maneuvers.

The second major trade occurred between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Detroit Tigers. With a current win rate of 58.1% and currently leading the NL Wild Card, the Arizona Diamondbacks hold a significant chance of breaking into the postseason after many years. Under these circumstances, their general manager also chose to take a gamble:

The Diamondbacks, just by spending three low-valued prospects—Dawel Lugo, Sergio Alcantara, and Jose King—acquired the powerful outfielder J.D. Martinez from the Detroit Tigers.