The Yankees were known to be interested in Luis Castillo before the trade deadline. Jon Heyman of the New York Post sheds some light on the team’s discussions with the Reds, reporting that New York put outfield prospect Jasson Dominguez on the table. Heyman reiterates that New York refused to make top shortstop prospect Anthony Volpe available, however, and it’s unclear whether they were amenable to giving up fellow infielder Oswald Peraza either.
Volpe and Peraza are the only two Yankees farmhands who appeared on Baseball America’s most recent ranking of the league’s top 100 prospects. Dominguez checks in fifth in the New York system, per BA. The highest-profile player in the 2019-20 international amateur class, the switch-hitting Dominguez has big power potential but is now seen by many evaluators as likely to eventually move to a corner outfield position. He’s impressed offensively during his first full season at an affiliate, however, hitting .265/.373/.440 with nine homers and 19 stolen bases over 324 plate appearances in Low-A before being bumped up to High-A last month.
Details on the Yankees conversations with the Reds are ultimately an historical footnote, as Cincinnati wound up shipping Castillo to the Mariners for a package headlined by infielders Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo (each of whom appeared among BA’s top 50 farmhands). The Yankees then pivoted to Oakland in their search for an impact starter, landing Frankie Montas for a prospect package headlined by Ken Waldichuk and JP Sears.
Some additional notes on the Yankees big league club:
- Luis Severino has missed the past month after suffering a lat strain, but he’s making progress in his rehab. The righty threw off flat ground of a distance of 120 feet this afternoon, as Bryan Hoch of MLB.com was among those to relay (Twitter link). He’s scheduled for a bullpen session on Monday, his first mound work since landing on the injured list. Severino was transferred to the 60-day IL earlier this month (to his chagrin), but Hoch suggests the club anticipates he’ll make multiple starts in September. That indicates he’s on track to be reinstated around when first eligible during the second week of next month.
- Infielder Matt Carpenter, meanwhile, went for a visit with a specialist after fracturing his left foot on a foul ball on Monday (relayed by Hoch and Marly Rivera of ESPN). He’ll go a couple weeks without weight-bearing and be reevaluated at some point next month. Further testing confirmed the preliminary diagnosis of a 6-8 week recovery timetable for Carpenter’s return to game action, giving him a chance to make it back for a postseason push. The 36-year-old mashed at a .305/.412/.727 clip through 47 games after signing with the Yankees in May, so it’d be a key boost if the club could welcome his left-handed bat back for the stretch run. Carpenter will be a free agent at year’s end, so a late-season comeback and productive showing in October would also serve as a nice boost to his market.
The Reds definitely blew it. They would of definitely been better off with the Yankees prospect package of Dominguez, Sweeney and Waldichuk. Oh well. Happy the Yankees kept these guys. I wish Luis Castillo my best at T-Mobile park in Seattle.
Barf, bro.
Whatever troll, and ain’t yer bro, kid.
Youre a loser if you think that Yankees package clears the ones the Reds got, period. Cry more.
A’sfaninUK is the absolute worst. Never disagrees with anyone without insulting them but was so overly insensitive to my disagreeing with them that they muted me.
Cosmo2- I agree with you 100%. Just don’t take it personally. Look at it this way, he’s just a pretend A’s fan living in the UK. Shouldn’t we just pretend to feel sorry for him? Yes he insults people every 5 minutes, then wonders why you dislike him. Smh
@UK
Your comment is almost as big of a joke as the country you live in. Not as big as the team you support more.
Cry more? What a lazy, pathetic response from the very definition of a loser. No one will care when you expire.
I agree, and I truly believe A’sfaninUK is on the spectrum somewhere. He needs to get diagnosed and hopefully he will feel better.
The Yankees traded Waldichuk to the A’s in the Frankie Montas deal.
@drewnats33- yes they certainly did, but Waldichuk was originally offered in a package with Dominguez and Sweeney for Mr. Castillo. The Reds will regret not making that trade. Trust me.
Arroyo+Marte>Dominguez+Sweeney+Waldichuk. Unless the Yankees included either Peraza or Volpe, what the M’s offered wasn’t going to be topped.
@mlb1225- you might be right. We’ll see. I’m a Yankees fan that’s a lot higher on Dominguez then Peraza. The Yankees agreed finally to trade Peraza in a package for Castillo, but that package didn’t include Dominguez, and by that time Cincy took the Mariners offer. I’m fine with getting Frankie Montas instead. We’ll see.
Captain Judge, I admire the enthusiasm, but you really need to calm down with the constant trade/prospect evaluation. The trade deadline has passed and Castillo went to Seattle. They offered a package that the Yankees were never going to match let alone top. It’s time to let it go
@Ronk325- thank you, you might be right. We’ll see what happens. I will tell you the truth though, I favor Dominguez over Peraza. So glad the Yankees didn’t trade the Martian in a package for Castillo.
Dominguez has significantly higher offensive upside but he’s also further away from the big leagues and will probably play corner OF. Peraza has gold glove potential at SS and is big league ready now so I can see why evaluators would rank him a little higher. I hope to see both of them playing for the Yankees in the future. In Peraza’s case, I’d love to see him there now
@Ronk325- Peraza should be up right now. If you didn’t want to trade him because he has so much value, by heaven means start him at shortstop already.
I don’t think the Yankees think he’s ready. Otherwise, they would’ve traded IKF. Calling up Peraza up now will create roster issues. They need flexibility with bp arms with Holmes struggling.
@YankeesBleacherCreature- well I don’t think at the beginning of the year Peraza was ready. But no mistake about it now, he’s ready. I don’t care what Boone or Ca$hman are saying to the media. Just bring the damn kid up already, for crying out loud! Smh
Peraza is ready, they’re just holding him down a little longer for service time manipulation. Marwin is a likely DFA candidate once Peraza comes up and IKF will move to a utility role
You’re making Yankee fans look bad. Please never comment again.
I think the Reds got the better package. You get the best prospects and sort out positions later. Marte will probably end up at 3B and De la Cruz in CF. I think it’s far more likely the Yankees will regret not trading for Castillo than it is the that the Reds will regret not taking Yankees offer.
The Reds got a ton of high end prospects this trade deadline. They absolutely nailed it. Without including Volpe there is no way the Yankees could even come close to the Mariners package.
Bad attempt to bait Yankee fans. Nobody believes that nonsense
Here we go with the Volpe stuff. I really think the Volpe supports are Cardinal fans. Just over the top absurd and annoying.
astick- it’s funny, and your the one bringing him up? You mentioned him, not me. You know why? He was never available in a trade, like I originally said. So go back to sleep!
The article mentioned him, Einstein. Did you read or just post your GM level insight?
astick- yes, and I said from the very beginning, that Volpe was never available. Guess what: He wasn’t!
Thought the reds immediately said they were not interested in Dominguez from the jump. Think they did better anyways
I’m a Yanks fan and I agree. That Seattle package was a great haul for the Reds. Part of me is sad, as adding Castillo would have put them in a great position to win a World Series (which is what they are playing for after all), but also, like every other fan base, I get excited about my team’s prospects and it sucks seeing them go. I am excited to see what Dominguez does in the future (remember everyone, he is a 19-year-old kid, who was definitely overhyped (even before he became a Yank) but still has great potential), but I would have loved to have had Castillo for this and next year. Oh well, it will be fun seeing how it all plays out.
Further as another Yankees fan, I agree….Seattle gave the Reds a great paper haul…..the outcome of which we won’t know for several seasons probably but with all this banter about which prospects were or weren’t included by either Seattle or the Yankees 1 thing stands out…..Seattle hasn’t been to the playoffs for 20 years…..20 years so they would have included anybody and everybody in a trade for Castillo which the Yankees weren’t or wouldn’t match given their playoff track record….of course, making the playoffs won’t satisfy true Yankee fans while only a WS will…..
Volpe is only batting .264 at low A ball. With only 9 home runs. Are Adell and Volpe really that great? I have never seen either play but those two get talked about more then any other prospects.
You really need to do some research before you make that kind of statement.
He’s what you really should know…
– this was his first season at AA as a 21yo
– Volpe batted .203 in Apr/May
– his K% in the two months was 24.4% not terrible and his BB% was 12.6% which is very good
– .his slash over the last 90 days .282/.375/.516
– SB/CS 38/6
That the Yankees didn’t trade him speaks volumes. AA is the biggest adjustment for most prospects. Volpe has demonstrated speed, on-base, and power despite being 3 years younger than AA average. If he does well in Scranton next year, he’ll be in the majors in 2023.
The Yankees aren’t my favorite team, but there’s nearly as much blind hatred as much as there is blind homerism toward them on these boards. Here’s the facts: Volpe has hit .286/.373/.524 since mid-May. He has a .392 wOBA and 144 wRC+ in this time, along with a K% of just 13.8%. Only helps he has a strong 11% walk rate. No one is denying that Volpe got off to a slow start, but a 144 wRC+ since mid-May is impressive. I love guys who don’t strikeout and draw a frequent amount of walks, so seeing a sub-15% K% and BB% above 10% always intriuges me.
@LouWhitakerHOF- You are 100% percent wrong. Definitely do more recent research in regards to Anthony Volpe. Basically he was never going to be traded straight up for the Tigers injured starter Skubal.
Lou, using BA to judge a player in the minors is even dumber than doing it to judge a player in the majors. Do some research into how stats like OBP, slugging, etc work.
@Cosmo- it’s so true, to judge someone having a bad season in the minors is a bad idea. I remember a kid named Jeter was so bad at shortstop in AA or AAA, the Yankees were thinking about putting him at another position. Look how all that worked out.
There is no comparison between Adell and Volpe. One is a sub-par corner outfielder, with a career 145/24 K/W in 409 ABs. As I’ve been telling Angel fans for three years, Adell does not belong in the pros. As bad as he’s been, he is getting worse.
Volpe, OTOH, is a solid SS glove, who has conquered AA at age 21. Right now, I see no negatives. Slightly high strikeouts, but he has a 9/11 K/W with 4 HRs in his last 64 ABs. Even if he weren’t a SS, I would take that from every minor league player the RS have.
And no one hates the EE more than I do, so that’s a pretty good recommendation.
@Ulmanoma- the Reds will regret not making that trade with the Yankees, they did not do better with the Mariners package. Cincinnati needed Dominguez a lot more then they needed Peraza. The Reds have Cruz so he can play shortstop and Trey Sweeney could of played at 3rd base in a year.
Cincinnati absolutely did not need Jasson Dominguez more than they needed Noelvi Marte, come the hell on.
Ok if you say so.
Judge – it’s could HAVE, not “of.” At least learn proper grammar if YOU’RE (not your) going to continue on with the ‘i’m smarter than everyone’ schtick. And the Reds got the far superior package from the M’s. Chill out and do some homework on all of the players, beginning with Noelvi Marte.
@holycowdude- Dude does it really matter? No it doesn’t, sorry. I never said Marte wasn’t going to be a good player. I just think that the Reds prospect Elly De La Cruz will be better though. We’ll see.
Dominguez is the new Greg Bird?
Got it.
I guarantee you this not true. I wouldn’t even trade you Dominguez for that young lefty power hitter Walker in that Cardinals line up that hits all those homeruns on mid to high 90’s fastballs. Did you guys offer him in Soto talks? Soto would of been better off traded to St Louis then San Diego. Cardinals stole Montgomery at the deadline for this injured Bader. Smh. Is he any good?
As a cubs fan who has watched Bader a lot. He has the potential to be really really good. His defense is elite and he’s had spurts of great offensive production. He puts it all together and the Yankees found a gem.
I’d also add finding a centerfielder that can play defense and hit is much harder than replacing a 3-5 starter.
The issue us fans see with this is we’ve seen this story play out with Aaron Hicks albeit non-elite D.
Would have not would of
What planet are you from?
Need to consider the source here. Heyman is well known for making things up.
JP Sears looked great in his first game, if you have a deep fantasy league I’d grab him – HUGE “A’s SP no one knew about who is good out of nowhere” vibes, and he already was putting up numbers in his short Yankees stint too. A true pitcher, not a thrower, A’s can probably pencil him into the rotation next year. I’d say there’s a good chance he outperforms Frankie Montas next year just because, it’s the A’s, they always do this.
Personally, I didn’t like any of the A’s rebuild trades. Yes it’s possible waldichuck and Sears are very solid rotation pieces, but if the Yankees truly wanted montas, make it hurt their farm system. And they kept their top hitting prospects
Beane picked Cashman’s pocket for Montas. He got three very promising pitching prospects and this guy:
https://www.pinstripedprospects.com/cooper-bowman-is-the-next-yankees-stud-prospect-62905/
@Fink Ployed- I don’t think so. You could be right though. Out of all these prospects, trading hard throwing Luis Medina crushed me the most. He’ll definitely be a set up man, then a future closer if he doesn’t get hurt.
Medina is out of options next year I believe, so he’ll have to be on the mlb roster and has no experience in AAA yet. Yes they could stash him as a reliever and hope their coaches can help fix his walk issues, but that’s uncertain
No Medina isn’t out of options, even if he was he’s definitely making the A’s team next season. You will love this kids arm, if he can stay healthy. No worries.
@Asfan0780- you will be very happy with Waldichuk and Spears trust me, and if they don’t pan out no worries you’ll have Luis Medina who will be a #4 or #5 starter in your starting rotation, or your future closer. He was my favorite pitching prospect on the Yankees. I hated seeing him go. He can throw his fastball at 103 miles per hour, with a deadly curve, and a power sinker.
Asfan: I believe the A’s came out on top in this trade. In fact, I submit there’s a strong possibility we will look back on this trade, and with the benefit of hindsight, see it as lopsided (in the A’s favor).
Although many A’s fans (not implying you) said Yankees would have to give up much more, like Volpe, for example, I think the A’s received great value for Montas. Many A’s fans undervalued the return and said repeatedly, “Yankees fans overvalue their prospects.” But, as we see, the A’s seem to value those arms as well, and rightfully so. I think you all are going to be pleasantly surprised with the pitching talent you just received.
I believe Volpe was off limits in any trade discussions with Yankees in offseason. Even going back to Matt olson talks. But many expcted peraza to at least be part of a montas trade, but the A’s preferred pitching and waldichuck as the centerpiece
I’m a Yankee’s fan obviously. I definitely thought Peraza was going to be part of any Castillo or Montas deal. I know for a fact the Athletics and Reds value him high, as high as the Yankees do. I definitely feel Medina is the best value coming back to Oakland, enjoy. Keep an eye on Waldi also.
Yankee fans knew about him, and this one didn’t like that trade at all. It felt like an overpay to me, and I said so at the time.
@Fink Ployed- I know your a die hard Yankee’s fan like me. I just really hope your wrong here, that’s all. Lol.
I think this trade deadline for Cashman is going to be analogous to the commercial with the biker getting the tattoo that reads, “No Regerts”
@Yankee Clipper- That’s definitely possible to though. I always respect your thoughts and comments Brother.
Thank you, Cap, and the feeling is mutual, my friend. Cashman has made some very good moves, and I really, really like Bader; but, I think it was more an opportunistic move (like the Stanton deal), rather than one borne out of necessity for this roster to win the WS.
However, I am willing to be patient and see what the result is, but post-deadline team performance hasn’t been too encouraging…
@Yankee Clipper- I guess I got to see Bader play a little more, before judging him. My NL team are the Cubs. The Cubs have been really unwatchable the past few years. It’s my fault for not paying attention to Bader that much on the Cardinals.
Ken Waldichuk is almost ready. The A’s need to give him like 2 or 3 starts in AAA lst before bringing him up. I like Waldi better then Spears. I can see Waldi being a future #3 or #4 starter, and Spears being a #4 or #5 starter. I love Medina, future set up man and then your closer. The A’s did very well here.
No one cares what you think nor will they care when you’re dead
I love these deadbeat Reds fan’s, that don’t really know what their teams needs are. Priceless!
Wrong, it is you who have the baseball analysis skills of someone who got hit in the head with a blunt object. How dare you think Jasson Dominguez is better prospect than Noelvi Marte.
I definitely know about these prospects. Hello, I leave in the US not the UK. We’ll see if Dominguez is better then Marte. If you could just hear how foolish you really are, you would just shut the hell up already. Seriously.
*live
Okay, I live in the US… The package the Reds got for Castillo was way better than what the Yankees were offering. Sorry, Jasson is not better than Noelvi, and even the MLB prospect rankings have Noelvi at 17 and Jasson at 36.
To me, it just sounds like you’re a little bitter that the Yankees had to settle for Montas and his 18.00 ERA over Castillo and his domination of the Yankees in back to back starts since joining the Mariners. Get over your prospects… that’s all they are. You aren’t even the best team in the AL, and you probably screwed yourselves by not giving up that one extra prospect. You are playing for a World Series, but refuse to make the moves to get there.
To be fair for montas he’s barely pitched the last month. Got hurt, then all star break, and then had a family issue. But shoulder injuries are scary, but he was throwing 97 mph in his Yankees start
Yeah I definitely hear you, but those rankings at times are biased. I look at them to. All that said I feel Marte and Dominguez will be excellent players, but look how many times we’ve been wrong about this? Lol.
The Captain bitter? LMAO the guy eats crabapples for breakfast.
And you know better. C’mon man.
Of course I do. Like I said, we’ll see.
I stated that Anthony Volpe was never getting traded from the beginning of the year. Looks like I was right, so all you suckers that doubted me, this is for you. Much thanks!
I can’t wait to see how Dominguez fares in AA. His BB% in Tampa was 14.2. In A+ Husdon Valley, 15.2% Who cares if he doesn’t play CF, as long as he hits.
Time to give the closer role back to Chapman, IMO. Three blown saves in a row is enough for Holmes to lose the job until he gets his mojo back. In 2017, Chapman was taken out of the closer role after giving up 2 earned runs in each of three consecutive appearances in August, even though only one of those outings was a blown save. Chapman looks to be back to form now and Holmes is lost.
Yankees overthought this whole trade deadline and ruined the mojo on the clubhouse. Montgomery is on fire, JP Sears pitching well, losing out to Castillo while Montas looks like a bust., Marinnocia and Schmidt in the minors which is crazy. Still miss Urshela over Donaldson! Only great moves where Bennentendi and getting rid of Sanchez.
Agree with you so far. I thought that I was the only Yankee fan that would take Urshela over Donaldson. Like Benintendi and getting rid of Gary Sanchez is the definition of addition by subtraction! The Yankees slide started before the deadline moves, so I’m not sure I agree with you there.
@Mick- count me in on that to. I always favored Urshela over Donaldson. I actually wouldn’t mind having Gio back, he was definitely one of my favorites. Thanks for your comments Brother!
I
Hey Captain Judge99, I just wanted to say you won me over. I was a bit critical of you couple weeks ago, but you’re actually a pretty funny dude! You just take a little bit getting used to…maybe it’s the New Yorker in ya.
@Ignorant Son-of-a-b- hey thank you for your kind words. It means a lot. Truth be told I hate to fight, and name call on here. I find you knowledgeable, which is very important to me. New Yorkers are not bad people. We’re like a fungus. You just got to get used to us being there. That’s all.
Fungus? You’re more like a fungal infection that irritates sensitive anatomy. Now, go wash your team’s jock straps and pay the Trop’s electricity bill!
Yes, as always your that stingray fungus that catches men and women down below. Enjoy your free rent and electricity, your Yankee Daddy will continue to pay it for you. No worries.
What’s up with Zac Britton, is he ever coming back?? Here for the longest time the bullpen was their strongest suit … and it’s been shaky of late. Here I thought it was the starting rotation that was is in danger, but if you don’t have the lockdown bullpen (ahem ahem like the Mariners have) then the postseason will be a chore.
Wow Britton, hopefully he’ll comeback with Sevvy, and the beloved Harrison Bader by mid September? I wish we really knew. That’s what I’m hearing. Still waiting on Stanton… and the wait continues.
The only reason that the Yankees don’t have Soto and Castillo is Cashman.
He traded away his chips for IKF and Donaldson’s huge contract, when he could have just signed Seager or Correa.
That would have allowed him to move Gio and Sanchez for Trevino and higher level prospects.
At the deadline, he could have moved Gallo, Monty, Hicks, even Taillon for Soto/Castillo (with prospects) or for prospects to get trade for them.
He failed this team miserably and will again, being responsible for another failed season.
You are correct. I won’t criticize Cashman for some of those moves because he needed to do something. However, I do stand by the fact that Cashman made several unnecessary moves to advance the ball club two steps ahead, when they could’ve operated with a more cogent & cohesive plan to advance and end up five steps ahead.
To illustrate my above points, taking on Donaldson’s $25M (instead of, say, Verlander?); trading Monty for Bader while simultaneously dumping the top farm arms when we need pitching; and hording both Peraza & Volpe when one may have been enough to get Castillo if included in the offered package. I also think Judge will walk which will leave the Yanks with a subpar lineup/OF offensively next season, and the only ones surprised by it will be Cashman & Hal.
Now, the Soto deal is monumental. I’d love to see Soto in pinstripes because the thought of his bat is incredibly tantalizing; but, if you dump the entire farm for him and he gets injured or pulls a Tatis and juices, it totally screws the Yanks because they don’t get the freebies and cherry-picks like many other teams do.
I hope you’re assessment is wrong, but it won’t surprise me if it comes to pass.
Cashman is like every other GM he makes good moves and some bad ones.
You can have Ca$hman if you want him. You probably wouldn’t have to pay for him either, since everything is free to the stingrays.
The reality is the Yankees never had enough chips to get both Soto and Castillo. It’s not like the Yankees have had the best farm recently.
The Padres gave up an absolute haul to get Soto. There are very few teams that could of matched that haul or been willing to match that haul. I see a lot of people on this site complaining that the Yankees didn’t give up what enough to get Castillo but once the Mariners were willing to add Marte then it was done the only prospect that the Yankees have that is similar is Volpe. If the Yankees would of included Volpe then it would of come down to who Cincinnati liked better Volpe or Marte and what secondary piece the Yankees be willing to include to match because it would of taken more then Volpe.
The Mariners gave up a lot but they got the best available starter. The Yankees are going to be in the playoffs it will be interesting to see what happens and how Yankee fans feel if they get booted early again and don’t make the World Series.
@Bruin1012- nothing could be more further from the truth. If the Yankees offered Peraza, Sweeney, and Waldichuk three or four weeks ago they would of gotten Castillo, but they didn’t till later on. The Nationals were a little more tricky though. Dominguez, Wells, Schmidt, Gomez, Pereira, Vargas and Vasquez could of brought in Soto likely, but the Yankees for some reason didn’t want to make that offer.
Capn if you think Peraza, Sweeny and Waldi are comparable to what the Reds got from the Mariners well you just don’t know prospects then. Once the Mariners were willing to part with Marte the only way the Yankees could compete is if they included Volpe from a prospect standpoint. Peraza isn’t the prospect that Marte is and that’s a fact. I know you think the sun rises and falls on Yankee prospects but the Mariners gave up a hell of a package that the Yankees just weren’t willing to meet.
@Bruin1012- If your right so be it. I’m happy with Frankie Montas. I love the price. If the Mariners don’t win the World Series this year or next year, then that hefty price as you say wasn’t worth it then. I wish the Mariners my absolute best, nice team! We can’t judge these prospects yet. Let’s see how they all pan out in the near future.
Capn- I don’t think it’s World Series or bust for the Mariners. They want to go to post-season since they have the have the longest post-season drought currently in baseball. When it’s of like that it’s easy to see what why they made the trade they did.
I think Montas was a fine pickup for the Yankees very similar to Castillo maybe a step below but still an excellent pitcher. It’s hard to argue that what the Yankees did by not matching the Mariners but still getting a very good starter for a lot less prospect capital was a good move. I guess we will see in the post-season for the Yankees it’s World Series or bust for the Mariners just getting to the dance would be huge for the city and for the Mariners moving forward. The Mariners still have a ton talent and we’re able to keep Kirby who is a rising star.
The Yankees had enough, but trading everyone would have been a bridge too far.
That doesn’t let Cashman off the hook: he traded for IKF and Donaldson, wasting that trade capital. Signing Seager or Correa would have cost the same dollars and saved for future trades.
Imagine them having their top 10 farm AND having additional prospects, instead of IKF/Donaldson.
If I were the NYY, I would not have paid the price for either Castillo or Soto.
OTOH, I’m not sure what the logic in trading Monty was.
I used to dislike the Yankees the most, but now that title has gone to the Astros. But, in a purely baseball sense…. get over your prospects. You are playing for a World Series title, not to win a division.
The Yankees have become notorious for this, and it has screwed you over in the long term. And, you’ve done this crap several times already. You refused to give up Torres in a deal for Yelich, and instead settled for taking on Stanton’s contract instead. Great, but he is basically another Judge, and that has proved very beatable already. You would have had a far better balanced lineup if you had Yelich hitting in front of Judge, but no… now you’re in a position where you likely want to hold onto Judge over Stanton, but you already have Stanton under contract long term, so there is a chance you have to let Judge walk instead.
Then, you had the fiasco with Clint Frazier and how he was the next “sure thing” and you wouldn’t trade him for anything but the best of the best. Then, he struggled and you had to release him because you refused to trade him at his highest value, and you got nothing for him.
Then, you literally watched Castillo dominate you as a member of the Reds in Yankee stadium, which not only should have proved that he was an ace that could handle the environment, but also that you were beatable against the right pitching. You refused to include whoever in a package for him, and instead, he went to a team that you are now likely going to have to face in the playoffs… and a Mariners team in which Castillo has already completely shut you down twice with a 1.84 ERA both at Yankee Stadium and at home in T-Mobile Park. Sorry, as a Mariner fan, I am more than happy to play the Yankees in a playoff series. They don’t scare me at all, as proven by the now 4-2 record against you this year. And, that was all without Julio.
Stop overvaluing your prospects. We were guilty of overvaluing ours too, believe me. I was angry when we refused to give up our “big 3” in order to get Stanton in Walker, Paxton, and Hultzen. None of those did much of anything for us except for maybe Paxton.
Point is… you were playing for a World Series, and you didn’t get better. Benintendi balanced things out a little more with your lineup, but dang, you needed to make moves to get you through the playoffs to the World Series, and instead, something tells me you will lose in the division series.
You make a lot of valid points in this narrative and I think many Yankees fans would agree, particularly with the Yankees prospect-hugging instead of making the necessary improvements, similar to what Preller did (although, I’m not suggesting Cashman should mirror Preller).
I think all teams are guilty of prospect hugging… we all want that one dude to come up and be an instant stud (like JRod has become for the Mariners), but we forget that 95% of those guys just fail. The Mariners are guilty of it too, so it’s not just the Yankees. We did it with those like Ackley, Franklin, Smoak, Walker, Hultzen, etc. too. I also think about it with the Cubs and Schwarber.. .they wouldn’t trade him for anything and he walked.
The way I look at it… was the package a heavy one to give up for Castillo? Absolutely. But, Marte is going to be a 3B, which is a position that is held by Suarez for the next 2.5 years, so Marte wasn’t helping this particular version of the team. Arroyo… yeah, he was a top 100 prospect, but he’s also 18. He could easily turn into a dud. If he becomes a stud, fine. He wasn’t helping this team out by the time he reached the majors though. Same analysis for the Yankees too… was Castillo going to help this team more than Peraza or Volpe? Yeah, probably. There are reasons to be concerned about Cole, and you’re paying him until he’s like 38 or something. Same with Stanton. Your window is these next few years before those contracts switch to liabilities.
And sure, we could have said “well, Marte could help us next year, so let’s wait and plan for that”. Well, what happens if he comes up and pulls a Kelenic and hits .128. Trade for the sure thing to help the team now. To me, the Mariners untouchables have always been JRod, Gilbert, Kirby, and Hancock (big frame guys that you know are dudes). And, we’re starting to see why they were that way. Noelvi and Arroyo were always trade chips to me though.
Yes, precisely. Most notably, as you astutely noted, the Yankees are in contention for a championship *now*, so sacrificing those players that could put them over the top to keep players that *may* turn into something in 2-3 years is not a wise baseball decision. Prospects don’t help the club now if they’re in the minors.
I liked the game last night. Holmes is no longer a sure lock, and the Yankees might be at Whit’s end by now, speaking of locks. Oh well, it’s all in pun, the Red Sox are still infinity games out.
Whyhayzee: I hope your recovery is continuing to go well. I saw your post that you’re walking and building back up to a run, so I’m really happy for you, man.
I went swimming for the first time and that was really exhausting. I got 100 meters, rested, and another 100 meters. Try again tomorrow. I’m not a great swimmer to begin with, but I just ran out of gas both times at about 75 meters.
Afterwards, someone came over and asked if I was (insert my name) and we had a nice chat about my progress. Plus, the lifeguards knew me so I had no fear of drowning, in spite of my thrashing about at the end.
Tomorrow, I’m taking my friend to a new running place so he can do a 24 miler and I can be his support team. It’s not the same as actually running but it stokes the fire. I’ll see if I can get in a three mile walk.
Great to hear, keep it up! If you need/want any added motivation I’d recommend reading or listening to a bit of ex-Navy Seal, David Goggins, with whom you may already be familiar.
Believe it or not there are dozens of runners on that level, which is ridiculous. I’ve been watching documentaries on the Barkley Marathons. I’ll have to check him out. It’s another world of hurt doing those races. I’m just happy to walk around the block!
Montas 3 innings 6 runs. Yikes!
Castillo 14.2 innings 3 runs.
I think the Yankees will regret not getting Castillo.
Best record in the AL belongs to the Astros. How often did we read about how great the Yankees were when they had the best record? Now, no one even mentions best record.
Yankees aren’t getting as much as they hoped out this trade. That’s for sure.
Sevy has traditionally been reported to making good progress in his rehab, only to discover he’s injured himself again ,and his return is inevitably delayed. I would not count on him returning this year
Stanton is desperately needed, but he’s nowhere to be found. We can now see what mighty impact his bat has on the team and lineup. Once he goes down, he usually does not return for long periods of time.Meanwhile the team is suffering.
DR2020,
Yes Stanton is dearly missed right now, particularly against the Red Sox who he crushes.
Can’t wait to see a lineup like this
LeMahieu 3B
Judge RF
Rizzo 1B
Stanton DH
Torres 2B
Benintendi LF
Trevino C
IKF or Peraza SS
Bader CF
Not sure if I will see this lineup this year, but hope springs eternal!!!
I agree with both of you. Honestly, Stanton’s biggest impact isn’t even (necessarily) the offense he creates, it’s the fact that it forces pitchers to pitch to more players in the lineup, ie, Judge, instead of pitching around him.
I am excited to see Bader play CF when he comes back, even though I think that trade was poorly timed and too expensive at this juncture. According to Kay, it sounded as if the Yankees are *very confident he’s going to be back in Sept. I just can’t stand seeing any more of Hicks’ terrible swings. Perhaps Cashman couldn’t either and figured Monty was worth not seeing Hicks in the lineup each night – can’t blame him there…
Clipp,
Yes the timing of the Bader move was poor, but he is coming home and if he can improve his offense evenly marginally he could prove to be a vital cog. Playing Judge in center is a very risky business. We really need to get the bullpen straightened out!
Mickey7s: Very true, and just to clarify, I really like Bader. He’s been one of my favorite players to watch on other teams, and is one of the best CFers in MLB, imho. I love having him in pinstripes.
It’s the Yankees giving up a durable, reliable, consistent (albeit average) pitcher, when we need pitching, that concerns me. I would even deem the move worth it had we simply acquired another durable pitcher.
I am excited to see what Bader does. Hopefully he can make up for Monty’s absence, but the key for me is the Yankees getting home field advantage with the Astros. They’re just too good to beat at their home field for the series.
Please need more analysis re: Montas/Castillo/Monty trades! I just can’t get enough! I’m hitting refresh every third minute! I think I’m going thru withdrawal!