July 28, 2023
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NOTE: The following comes from EJ Fagan's substack page and is shared with permission.
Please check out EJ's substack page for more great articles.
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Trade season is underway.
A week ago, the Angels looked like they would probably trade Shohei Ohtani. Instead, they pulled him off the trade market, acquired Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez and are interested in Jeimer Candelario. They are going for it.
Other teams are starting to make moves too. The Dodgers brought back Kike Hernandez and might acquire Nolan Arenado and Joe Kelly. The Brewers acquired Carlos Santana. The Rays have been rumors to be interested in several players. Lots of contending teams are getting ready for the playoff run.
Every time a team, especially an American league competitor like the Angels, decides to buy, the case for the Yankees to sell is stronger.
There are only three wild card spots in the American League. The Yankees are 2.5 games back. Tampa and Houston currently have the first and second wild card spots. Realistically, the Yankees are competing for the third spot. Every team that buys makes that competition tougher. The Yankees now not only have to beat the Blue Jays and Red Sox, but also the Angels.
At the same time, every buyer increases the prices of players at the trade deadline, both by increasing demand and decreasing supply. More teams are competing for fewer players. The Yankees should be able to get more for Bader, Torres, Peralta, German and the rest of their trade candidates now that the market is tighter.
I get it. The Yankees won some games against the Royals. Had they lost that series, I think they would pretty clearly be heading toward a hard sell this weekend. The Yankees are rushing Aaron Judge back against the Orioles to try and capture some last-minute magic. But nothing has changed since last week on the Yankees roster. Selling is an even better move than it was a week ago.
Short win streak against lousy teams, should mean nothing.
This is going to be a very interesting weekend and 9 game stretch against REAL teams, not Kansas City. I'm still astonished that Judge would agree to go back into action with him feeling pain in his foot. Madness. If Judge re-injures the foot Brian Cashman should resign.
This team should be dismantled brick by brick. They are not young, dynamic and vital but rather they are old, clumsy and mediocre. But "selling" will not happen. Cashman will not admit that the roster he created is not of championship quality.
If the O's sweep the Yankees this weekend, i can see Holmes, Peralta, IKF, & Torres, all traded away.
I also don't want any more trades like last year's Monty for Bader, with the playoffs in mind. No guarantee that they get there. Nor do i want any negligible upgrades.
We already had one stupid move today to make room for Judge on the roster. They optioned Peraza. Peraxa had some sort of oblique injury back on Jine and hasn't hit since. Does maybe Peraza really belong on the IL? Oh, stupid me this is the Yankee medical staff we are talking about. I no longer believe that medical people make medical decisions for the Yankees.
And of course, BC…