The New York Yankees made a couple moves before last month’s MLB trade deadline that seemed to have some strong potential.
From the Washington Nationals, they acquired the sweet-swinging lefty slugger Luis Garcia Jr.
And from the San Francisco Giants, the Yankees brought aboard outfielder Heliot Ramos.
Since then, though, the Yanks haven’t felt like a markedly different team. Garcia has performed pretty well. Ramos has struggled.
All told, the Yankees haven’t changed as much as they may have been expecting.
It’s been one month since the trade deadline, and ESPN writes that the Yankees’ playoff odds have increased by 1.6% in that time. That’s not really much to do with the trades they made, though.
Trade Deadline Review
The trade deadline was Aug. 3, so ESPN put out a one-month-later review on Thursday, Sept. 3.
This was the summary line for ESPN writer Bradford Doolittle:
“The Yankees’ play has ticked up since the deadline. It’s not because of Brian Cashman’s pickups, in total.”
He went on to explain more about the numbers behind the acquisitions.
“Heliot Ramos has hit .148 and managed to get a half-win below replacement in just a month as a Yankee,” Doolittle writes. “His rough start has been offset by solid hitting from Luis Garcia Jr. (0.6 bWAR, 133 OPS+). It’s a wash between New York’s two deadline additions. Nothing much has changed for the Yankees.”
Ramos was always going to have a bit of a tough time adjusting to the Yankees. In San Francisco, he was an every-day starter. With the Yankees, there are more times when he sits, particularly when right-handed pitchers are on the mound.
Garcia was in the midst of a breakout season for the Nationals, and while he hasn’t carried it entirely over to pinstripes, he’s kept hitting, which is what the Yankees would’ve hoped for.
The reality is that the Yankees’ most important acquisition still hasn’t arrived yet.
Aaron Judge Is Key
The Yankees knew at the trade deadline, as they know now, that it’s all about their superstar slugger Aaron Judge.
Judge has been out for months with his rib injury. Until he’s back, this team can’t be fully assessed.
They should get into the playoffs either way. The key will be having Judge back in the lineup and at full strength by the time they get there.
“All season goals remain on the table, and the chances of reaching them might be determined by when Aaron Judge is back and how quickly he can return to form,” Doolittle writes.
Judge’s return will create a bit of a lineup crunch if everyone remains healthy, but that’s a good problem to have. The Yanks would certainly rather have Judge and be crowded than not have Judge while being less-than-crowded.
There have been some positive vibes from the Yankees about Judge’s return date, but it’s still not a sure thing, and as September ticks along, it’ll feel like they’re running out of time. If he can return in time, the Yankees have a chance to beat anyone, regardless of what they did at the MLB trade deadline.
Yankees’ Trades Don’t Explain Much, Says ESPN