New York Yankees Being Aggressive on Waiver Wire
Recent reports have suggested that the New York Yankees are aggressively claiming players on trade waivers.
News broke yesterday that the New York Yankees have been “aggressive” on the waiver wire, as Jeff Todd reported. This may not surprise the average fan since the Yankees are typically contenders, but the motivation may be different this year.
With 67 wins and 62 losses, the Bronx Bombers find themselves seven games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox. They are somewhat closer to a Wild Card berth at just three games out, but four teams stand in their way. Given this clumping of teams, it comes as little surprise that FanGraphs gives them just a 5.9 percent chance of making the postseason.
Still, they are within striking distance of having a meaningful October. Gary Sanchez has played well recently and has been a much-needed improvement behind the plate. Their offense is still lackluster, although their pitching has been a bit better than average. If they can make a few additions to shore up their roster, the New York Yankees could potentially make the playoffs. At the very least, they could play spoiler for division rivals.
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Another interesting hypothesis for why they have been so aggressive is that they are blocking better teams from improving. Since the claim system gives worse teams priority over better ones, the New York Yankees are at a relative advantage. As mentioned before, they may have a good record, but nine American League teams still find themselves above the Yankees in the standings.
By claiming nearly all players of any value, the Yankees can ensure that division rivals like the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox will not get those needed additions. In fact, Buster Olney of ESPN suggested (subscription required) that the O’s have had issues adding players due to this strategy. Even if the New York Yankees cannot add any players before the end of the month, they can still prevent their primary opponents from improving at all.
This strategy could end up being a brilliant move for the Yankees. They are still in a good position to make a late run at a playoff spot, and a deal could fall in place to further aid their efforts. Furthermore, the Yankees have the financial flexibility to dampen the potential deterrent of an opposing team dumping a big contract on them.
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No matter the motivation, the New York Yankees have relatively little time left for one of their claims to lead to a trade. Once September begins, all acquired players will not be eligible for postseason play, rendering the cost of acquisition too high for any real return. At the very least, the Yankees have managed to keep the division pretty much the same as it was a month ago. Only time will tell how events will play out.