New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has been active on the trade market after making smaller moves to improve the team's 40-man roster and farm system. Cashman says he's not done and the latest rumors may indicate what he's looking to accomplish.
Cashman spoke to Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com earlier today at the MLB Winter Meetings and talked about the team's offseason plans.
"It is still incomplete," Cashman said. "We are addressing areas of need, without a doubt. There are still steps in the process that I would like to take."
"I'm intending to do more."
That could mean outfielder Brett Gardner and closer Andrew Miller are still available in talks, even though it's not expected they get dealt.
Cashman recently traded a few players off the team's 40-man roster (RP Justin Wilson, P Adam Warren and INF Brendan Ryan) to acquire middle infielder Starlin Castro and prospect pitchers Luis Cessa and Chad Green. Last month he traded two other players on the 40-man roster - catcher John Ryan Murphy and infielder Jose Pirela - and added switch-hitting outfielder Aaron Hicks as well as prospect pitcher Ronald Herrera.
Still, the No. 1 priority is seemingly the starting rotation, which is an area in which the Yankees aren't entirely clear what they might get out of. Injury concerns surround nearly every starter - Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia and Nathan Eovaldi - and the only layup seems to be rookie sensation Luis Severino, which isn't a great sign because he's made only 11 MLB starts.
Cashman has yet to add to that unit, but the team has been mentioned in trade rumors regarding Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez. While a deal seems unlikely since the Marlins are looking for five-to-six MLB-ready players, it goes to show that Cashman is exploring any and all possibilities.
"He is still on the lookout to bring in more major league-ready arms," adds Marchand.
"That is why, though he likes Miller and Gardner and very well might keep them, those two big chips are still in play."
The Yankees have been linked to starters Carlos Carrasco (CLE), Danny Salazar (CLE) and Shelby Miller (ATL) in trade rumors and perhaps other names will begin to surface more frequently such as Tyson Ross (SD), Julio Teheran (ATL) and others if Cashman feels a significant move needs to be made. It's clear the Yankees are not taking the "win now" approach since they're trying to acquire cost-controlled starters.
Such an acquisition won't be cheap and New York doesn't have much to trade, but if anyone can make it work, it's Cashman.
"The Yankees need more security in their rotation for next year - and beyond," writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. "That is why you keep hearing Brett Gardner and Andrew Miller are available. The Yankees view them as important pieces to try to win in 2016, so they will only trade them if they get what they so desperately need: starters with less than three years of service time with high ceilings."
