Brian Cashman discusses Yankees’ quiet trade deadline

For the second consecutive year, the Yankees made no deals at the MLB Trade Deadline.

Unlike last year, when the Yankees signaled early on that they didn’t like what was available, the team found itself in plenty of rumors. The Bombers were linked to starting pitchers (Mike Clevinger, Lance Lynn, Kevin Gausman), relievers (Josh Hader), and position players (Starling Marte). They just didn’t make a deal happen.

According to Bryan Hoch, the team tried up until the 4 PM pencils-down moment, but they couldn’t match up with other clubs. Brian Cashman, the Yankees’ general manager, said the asking price from other teams was too high for his comfort zone.

He also cited monetary concerns, but they seemed to present a smaller roadblock for upgrades.

“Dollars are certainly a part of the equation, for any business right now, more than ever. That’s certainly part of the equation,” Cashman said, but he found the player matchups more challenging than squaring the finances.

It wouldn’t be a post-deadline press conference without mentioning the upcoming return of injured players look just like trades, if you tilt your head and squint your eyes just right. “Knowing that we’re getting everybody back at some point, that’s certainly exciting,” Cashman said. He specifically mentioned Gleyber Torres and Zack Britton as nearing returns, with Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, and James Paxton further down the line.

Yankees fans are used to this by now. Cashman is disciplined, sometimes to a fault. That makes trade-deadline deals difficult to come by in the Bronx. Instead, the team will roll with what they have, try to get everyone healthy, and treat the postseason like a crapshoot.