Cashman says Yankees are still looking for help at third base

August 8, 2013 by Mike Axisa 61 Comments

Via Joey Nowak: Brian Cashman confirmed the Yankees are still in the market for third base help even after Alex Rodriguez returned. “We will be looking into [August trades],” said the GM. “We had to get through [Monday] because obviously there’s always a domino effect. Are you going to have Alex? Are you not going to have Alex? That certainly affects what your needs are and what you’re looking for and, ‘Should you stop looking?’ But we’ll continue to see what’s available. I don’t know if anything’s going to be there for us or not.”

Michael Young has somewhat surprisingly cleared trade waivers according to Ken Rosenthal, so he can now be dealt to any team as long as he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause. It wouldn’t make sense for the Yankees to go out and add a rental player like that at this point — the time for that type of move has come and gone. They should be looking for a more long-term solution at third base though, and at several other spots as well. Those kinda players are rarely traded in August, however. August trades are usually band-aid moves as contenders look for that one final piece.

Brooklyn Ed

Mark Reynolds is designated. Cashman should be all over that, righty platoon for Overbay.
- Brian Strawman
  
  Only if they can somehow owe Reynolds something for next year to go with Wells, Ichiro and Soriano
botz

Why even bother at this point?
- trr
  
  Any move we make now needs to have 2014 in mind
  - Slugger27
    
    unless it involves just money and no prospects
dkidd

no reynolds
no jason bay

just play david adams
- Preston
  
  Has Adams really earned an extended look? 141PAs isn’t a lot, but it’s not like he’s showing signs of doing anything well, his Ks are high, his walks are low, and the lack of power he’s showed make you think that his .250 BABIP hasn’t been about bad luck but more about the inability to hit the ball hard at this level.
  - Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)
    
    I think it’s more that there isn’t a better option. Adding someone like Reynolds or Young is just wasting money in too little, too late moves. May as well see if Adams can do anything, even if it is unlikely. Maybe Musty eventually as well.
Robinson Tilapia

I don’t think the time has come and gone at all for a rental player. If you can upgrade this team right now for minimal cost, as long as there’s any sort of mathematical chance, you should pursue it.

If the Yanks had put a claim on Young, would the Phillies have just pulled him back? I’d assume so, as their goal would be to get something for him, not just dump him on someone else.
- Slugger27
  
  mike knows the time hasnt come and gone to acquire a player that would make the team better and only cost, in theory, money.
  
  but it doesnt fit his “the yankees being a 500 team for a full season makes me want to kill myself” theme of this blog.
  - Murphdog10
    
    Sadly…. I have to agree.
  - JobaWockeeZ
    
    And it’s his blog a concept which you still can’t understand.
    - Slugger27
      
      how can i not understand that? im under no impression its anyone elses.
  - Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)
    
    It kind of has come and gone though. Adding Reynolds or Young isn’t going to make the Yankees a playoff team, even if they only cost money.
    
    Wouldn’t it be better to spend that money some other way (not necessarily this year) that could have a potential impact in the future, rather than just flushing it down the toilet?
Steve S

Mark Reynolds was just DFA’d by Cleveland. He’s flawed, for sure, but he’s a big power-hitting RH bat who can play 1B/3B, and can probably be had for a song. Is Reynolds to the Yanks bound to happen? Thoughts?
- Robinson Tilapia
  
  I’d rather have Young, but I’d be game.
- Former ACE MannyGeee
  
  I cannot see a situation where claiming Reynolds would be a bad move for this team. If for no other reason, he is another big thumping RH bat that can play 1B. Overbay cannot play 160 games this season.
  - Preston
    
    Lyle and his 40 wRC+ against LHP needs a platoon partner badly.
- Preston
  
  He’s a streaky hitter who can literally carry an offense for a month when hot. Get him here and hope to catch lightning in a bottle. If he K’s in a third of his AB’s and falls on his face who cares, he’s going to be stealing AB’s from Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay.
Jill

As soon as I saw Reynolds was designated I thought the Yankees would be all over him. I would be surprised if he wasn’t a Yankee soon.
Darren

Why wouldn’t Young make sense for first base and to spot ARod at third this year? Way better than Overbay/Adams, no? And what would he cost at this point? Money for this year, which doesn’t affect us at all for the future, and maybe a Single A fringer? There’s no reason NOT to do it.

Why not do it? I also don’t see why we need a long term solution for third. Alex looks pretty good so far and has a long term contract. Even if he’s suspended for half of 2014, we’ll probably muddle through with Adams/a Youk type or another schlub, if this year is any indication.
- Preston
  
  Why would you assume Alex will only miss half of 2014? He’s been given a 211 game suspension. Even if he gets it lowered he’ll probably not see the field in 2014, and then he’ll be a year older and another year removed from baseball.
  - Darren
    
    My feeling is that MLB totally overreached with 211 games. I think he’ll be on the field in 2014.
nacho

Mark Reynolds just got DFA’d………..
Oy

If Amarro can be persuaded to give him up for free or for a career minor leaguer, then by all means. Problem is that Cashman made multiple offers for him at the deadline and was rejected. I would not give up a top 20 prospect for 1.5 months oif Young during a lost season.
T

Amaro wanted more than that at the deadline. Its not going to change now. How pumped are you that we “went for it” now instead of trying to sell and get some prospects for once. After 100 games, its funny that we don’t realize what we are.
- fat jeter
  
  the Yankees have almost become baseball’s version of a pathetic pro wrestler stuck “living the gimmick” of a perennial powerhouse 1 or 2 moves away from winning it all. I wouldn’t be surprised if they get both Reynolds and Young.
  - Slugger27
    
    kind of a weird analogy dont you think? all wrestlers of all ages “live the gimmick” their whole careers. wrestling isnt real, and the entire allure is based on entertainment.
    - fat jeter
      
      “the entire allure is based on entertainment.”
      
      that’s what I’m essentially getting at. The 2000’s saw the yankees snatch up as many many big name power guys to fit the Bronx Bomber gimmick and the “we are gonna win every year” gimmick. to a certain extent when Hal said this team was championship caliber many months ago he was kind of living the gimmick. And I disagree that all wrestlers live their gimmicks. If anything, the best gimmicks are based entirely on the wrestlers actual personality — just turned up to 11. the Godfather wasn’t really a pimp and Papa Shango wasn’t really a voodoo guy (weird how they were both portrayed by the same guy though). And its more a stupid analogy than weird one. I compare everything to wrestling though.
DERP

Bowden suggested Young for DBJ.

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/the-gms-office/category/_/name/jim-bowden
- Former ACE MannyGeee
  
  I might do that.
  - Preston
    
    I’d trade DBJ just to not have to scroll over the “DBJ SUX” comments on DOTF. If we can get Michael Young back all the better.
    - Former ACE MannyGeee
      
      THIS. DoTF is getting to be a real shit show
    - Robinson Tilapia
      
      DBJ, Culver, and Wayne for Michael Young.
      - Robinson Tilapia
        
        I’m sorry….did I say Michael Young?
        DBJ, Culver, and Wayne for Chase Headley. BOOM.
Dr. TJ Eckelberg

Zero chance Reynolds becomes a Yankee.
Dick M

Reynolds would fit right in with this group. And Cashman will probably be all over him.
dasani

Agreed, hes aging,strikes out a lot and will hit about .220, in other words hes a born Yankee.
- Slugger27
  
  another really confusing comment. hes got a low strikeout rate and has never hit below 220.
  
  fangraphs is a few clicks away to anyone with an internet connection.
  - Former ACE MannyGeee
    
    shhhh… teh narrative!
  - Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)
    
    Probably referring to Reynolds…
EndlessJose

I would still get a player.Indians and Kanas City aren’t saying in the Wild Card race. Orioles are overrated so the Yankees can still have a chance for the second wild card place.

If not the Yankees know the ratings will plummet and no one will go to the games.
Greg

Mark Reynolds? Ugh. Rather sign Debbie Reynolds.
OldYanksFan

Yeah, Mark Reynolds is flawed, but he is only 30 and…

Against LHP
2013:: .215 .333 .411 .745
career: .237 .363 .480 .843

Now look at Overbays numbers this year against LHP:
2013: .194 .236 .296 .532

That’s 100+ pts of OBP and 210+ pts of slugging.
If he’s cheap, how do you turn that away.

And the guy knows how to take a walk.
Yeah… I’d rather have Stanton or Machado, but… ya know…
- OldYanksFan
  
  Oops……….
  That’s 100+ pts of OBP and 110+ pts of slugging.
Game Overbay

Isn’t “Still looking for help at third base” at this point the same as “Titanic still booking passengers for North Atlantic cruise”?

lol
mick taylor

why if the season is over, meaning do not get michael young, didn’t cashman last week trade kuroda, cano, logan, hughes and granderson. he could have gotten some great prospects and young players. now, all these players may leave the yanks as free agents. kuroda would have brought a top prospect
- Slugger27
  
  yeah i didnt really understand that either. maybe they didnt get the offers they thought cano or kuroda were worthy of?
  
  granderson, im not sure i advocate selling him. value is low right now, and he could help the team next year on a potential qualifying offer deal. but yeah, not selling was a curious call. couldve been ownership, who knows.
  - Brian Strawman
    
    Kuroda and Logan should have been traded for sure.
    - Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)
      
      Kuroda has a ntc. Not sure he would have waived it.
Steve

The Yankees should trade Cano Gardner and anyone else including all these great Yankee prospects who Cashman will not trade and when they come up can’t hit their weight Ownership and Mgmt have not been truthful too Yankee fans retool this team now!!!
- D$1184
  
  So you want to retool this team but you also want to trade away all the top prospects? If you’re building for the future, you don’t trade away prospects.
  
  Young could be this year’s Ichiro: we pick him up for the end of the season but then he ends up staying the next season. I’d be okay with that, as long as it’s JUST on more season this time.
Razor

Too late, Cashman. You waited to long to help. Yankees are done and you and brass are the cause!
- Brian Strawman
  
  This.
Garyward

Now that Arod is back Cashman wants to finally do something about 3rd? Would have been nice 2 months ago. This guy is a complete dope. How does he still have a job?
- Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)
  
  Which 3B was moved 2 months ago?
  Which 3B has been moved at all thus far?
  Other than the crap heap guys the Yankees have already acquired.
Joe

Mark Reynolds is a joke. Power doesn’t make up for striking out as many times as Reynolds does for me. Any guy who strikes out more than 19% of his PA isn’t doing his job offensively as far as I’m concerned regardless of how much power he hits for. All striking out does is throw away extra opportunities to get on base by eliminating any percentage chance to get on base whether it be a hit or a walk. I mean look at Adam Dunn’s career for a second and think about how much better he could be as a hitter if he adapted more regularly the approach he had against Rivera with 2 strikes yesterday. Those little 2 strike approaches go unnoticed and get overshadowed by the homer that it overlooks how letting the ball track goes a longer way than people think to be successful. If Dunn swings out of his shoes there, he strikes out and loses out on an opportunity to drive in the tying run.
- Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)
  
  Chris Davis isn’t doing his job offensively this year.
  302/375/676???
  Not getting it done.
  - Joe
    
    And how many years will Chris Davis be hitting like that with that type of strikeout rate? How many hitters in general hit like Chris Davis with that type of strikeout rate? Comparing Reynolds to Davis is frugal, Reynolds has never been like Davis this year and even if he somehow managed to (which he won’t) it will be for 1 year (an outlier) and then never again. Promise you Chris Davis will become closer to Adam Dunn next year.
Steve

What prospects did the Yankees being up from their minor league system that have made a difference too this team ???
rogue

The Yankees should be looking for help a GM and Owner.