New York Yankees: Trade Deadline “Needs”
July 21, 2010 · Double G Sports · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
With Major League Baseball’s trade deadline just ten days away teams will likely start moving along in trade discussions.
Normally, you can expect a big trade or two to come through before the deadline passes. There is, however, some uncertainty this year as teams seem to be holding onto players or asking for too much in return.
The Yankees, while having the best record in the league, do have some holes they would like to fill.
Their main needs are pitching and bench depth.
The original thought was that the Yankees did not need to worry about starting pitching and just focus on the bullpen. With an injury to Andy Pettitte, a mental breakdown by A.J. Burnett, and an innings limit on Phil Hughes, however, the Yankees may want to think twice about not pursuing a starting pitcher.
The team continues to maintain the stance that their pursuit of Cliff Lee was a special case.
General Manager Brian Cashman says starting pitching is not the team’s priority.
Relief pitching is a concern for the team as well for many Yankees fans. After closer Mariano Rivera, the bullpen is very shaky. Eighth inning guy Joba Chamberlain has been inconsistent, while others like Chan Ho Park and Chad Gaudin have not pitched well at all. Dustin Moseley is not the answer.
David Robertson has pitched a bit better of late, but even he has struggled this season. Sergio Mitre had been an option to help out of the bullpen, but due to the Pettitte injury he will now be placed into the starting rotation.
Another area of interest for the Yankees is the bench.
The team would surely like to add some depth to the team before the deadline.
They have tried by calling up players like Juan Miranda, Kevin Russo, and Colin Curtis. These guys have the potential to be nice role players, but they have not performed consistently enough to take on the full-time bench role.
Utility infielder Ramiro Pena continues to fill in nicely with very good glove and the ability to play three infield positions. Pena, however, is not known for his bat.
The Yankees would like to add a veteran infielder that can provide some pop.
A backup in the outfield might help as well.
Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner have had very good seasons but centerfielder Curtis Granderson has not found his groove. Marcus Thames is on the roster as a backup in the outfield, but he is more of a DH type player.
So, where can the Yankees go to fix these holes? Find out by continuing this article at Double G Sports .
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