Originally Published:Sunday, July 31st 2011, 4:20 PM
Updated: Monday, August 1st 2011, 12:28 AM
The Right Moves?
Did Brian Cashman do the right thing by sitting tight at the non-waiver trade deadline?
The thinking since last winter, when Cliff Lee spurned them and Andy Pettitte retired from baseball, was that the Yankees had to make due for as long as possible until GM Brian Cashman could upgrade their starting rotation at this year’s non-waiver trade deadline.
That annual shopping spree came and passed Sunday at 4 p.m., with Cashman determining that the mish-mosh of arms that have helped ace CC Sabathia carry the Yankees to the second-best record in the American League were better options than Ubaldo Jimenez, Wandy Rodriguez and others available on the trade market.
Cashman swung no deals in July for the first time since 1998, his initial year as GM, with Freddy Garcia providing yet another reason why the front office was comfortable in doing nothing. The veteran righty tossed six more rock-solid innings for his 10th win as the Yanks completed a 7-3 home stand with a 4-2 victory over the Orioles at the Stadium.
BOX SCORE: YANKEES 4, ORIOLES 2
“Never got close, as far as I’m concerned,” Cashman said of trade talks seeking another starting pitcher or bullpen help. “I like our team and I believe in our guys, and me standing pat reinforces that. It wasn’t in the cards, but I’m willing to go with what we’ve got.”
With 2011 spring-training invitees Garcia and Bartolo Colon surprisingly combining for the same win total (18) as San Francisco aces Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain this season, the Yanks have reached August with a 64-42 mark, two games behind Boston in the AL East entering a road trip beginning Monday night in Chicago and continuing this weekend at Fenway.
“If you look at their body of work it’s been excellent,” Joe Girardi said of Colon and Garcia. “They have an ERA in the low 3’s and in the American League East, that’s tough to do. … So my reaction to not making a trade is I didn’t expect one.”
Boston acquired lefty Erik Bedard Sunday from Seattle, but after making headlines over the winter suggesting the Sox were more talented than the Yanks on paper pending other in-season moves, Cashman declared “there’s no doubt” his team has “closed the gap.
“I look forward to racing down the Red Sox and trying to catch them and pass them or find any way to secure an automatic bid to the postseason,” the GM added. “This collection of guys has done what they’ve done through a lot of adversity, and we’ve had some surprises that have come out of nowhere for us.”
Also calling them “the guys we were blessed with,” Cashman was referring to Colon, the oft-injured former Cy Young winner who improved to 8-6 in the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader sweep; righty Ivan Nova, who might get the chance to push Phil Hughes for a rotation spot after returning from Triple-A to earn his ninth win in the nightcap blowout; and Garcia.
The latter “certainly hasn’t put himself in a position to lose a job” because of any trades, Cashman noted. Indeed, Garcia posted a quality start for the 14th time in 19 outings this season, improving to 10-7 with an assist to Brett Gardner (three-run triple) in the fourth and three innings of scoreless relief by Hector Noesi, David Robertson and Mariano Rivera (27th save).
“I’ve got to be really happy. It’s a really good-hitting division, and hopefully I can continue to pitch the way I’ve been pitching and help this team make the playoffs,” Garcia said. “But I wasn’t really paying attention to (the trade deadline). They’ve got to do what they have to do and me and Bartolo, we’re really happy we’re still here. We’ll continue to pitch and try to win some games.”
Girardi acknowledged that .Nova’s reemergence might push the Yanks toward using a six-man rotation through the next turn to afford Colon and Garcia added rest and maintenance for the stretch run.
But barring injuries or another pitching upgrade becoming available through the waiver process in August, these are the pitchers and this is the team Cashman and the Yankees are going with for the rest of 2011.
“You’ve been here years where we made trades and it’s sad because guys who helped you get to this point have to go, so fortunately we get to keep everyone,” said Derek Jeter, who is day-to-day after leaving the game with a bruised right middle finger after getting hit by a pitch. “We’re excited about our team.”