New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman has had enough of the losing, saying that changes will be made.
After an abysmal start to this season, New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman is finally fed up with the team. In a quote from CBSSports.com, Cashman had this to say of his team so far. “There’s only so long you can allow it to go on before tinkering, but it just needs to stop.”
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Two of the biggest factors in this mess are the Yankees hitting with runners in scoring position and their pitching. In situations with runners in scoring position, the Yanks have been failing to capitalize as they rank 27th in the MLB with getting their runners in.
Their pitching has been horrendous, as three of their starters have an ERA over 5.45. CC Sabathia, their fifth starter, leads the team with two wins. It could be possible that the new team is having a hard time meshing, however; the statistics show a clear correlation between hitting and wins.
| Player | RBI | Batting Average | Wins |
| David Ortiz– Boston Red Sox | 22 | .331 | 16 Wins/ First Place in AL East |
| Mark Trumbo– Baltimore Orioles | 22 | .333 | 15 Wins/ Second Place in AL East |
| Josh Donaldson– Toronto Blue Jays | 21 | .282 | 14 Wins/ Third Place in AL East |
| Evan Longoria– Tampa Bay Rays | 14 | .245 | 12 Wins/ Fourth Place in AL East |
| Alex Rodriguez– New York Yankees | 12 | .194 | 9 Wins/ Last Place in AL East |
This table shows very clearly that players who lead their teams in RBI’s and also hit for a good average are part of the more successful teams in terms of the league standings. Another key figure is the overall team batting stats. The top team in the AL East right now is the Boston Red Sox while the bottom team is the New York Yankees. In the Sox lineup, there are eight starters hitting over .250 and four hitters who boast an unprecedented batting average over .300.
In comparison, the Yankees have just five starters batting over .250 and none batting over .300. As the saying goes, “You have to hit to win” and the Yankees have failed miserably to this point.
So, what could the New York Yankees do? Here are a few players that could make sense as possible trade targets.
FanSided
Sonny Gray, SP, Oakland Athletics: With the Athletics currently 4 games out of first, and unlikely to sustain such a close lead, look out for this trade not just with the Yankees but with other franchises looking for an upgrade in their rotation. The 26 year old is a good player and with Billy Beane at the helm you never know what may happen. Trade rumors were liked to Gray all winter, but it seemed that the demands were too high.
Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves: Since the Braves may end up being the worst team in baseball, they have all but given up on the season. They have reportedly said that no player is safe from being traded for future prospects, and that includes Freeman. With the 26 year old batting just over .250, he may be at his lowest marketability yet. This is where the Yankees could sweep in and pick him up, as he would provide a much needed young power hitter in the middle of their lineup.
Julio Teheran, SP, Atlanta Braves: Remember what I said about the Braves? The same is true for Teheran, as the 25 year old pitcher is lights out when he has a solid team behind him. In 2013 and 2014, he had ERA’s of 3.20 and 2.89 respectively and has still pitched some great games this year despite being 0-3. The Yankees could use a pitcher like him to complement Masahiro Tanaka at the top of their rotation.
Matt Kemp, OF, San Diego Padres: With the Padres being in last place in an admittedly hard division, they may need to rethink the big money they spent two offseasons ago on players who have underperformed thus far like Kemp.The 31 year old has actually been playing some great baseball so far, batting just under .300 this season. Everyone know the Yankees aren’t prone to shy away from big contracts and this one would make sense for both teams. The Padres would get rid of him from the payroll and probably get some prospects while the Pinstripes would get a much needed mix of power, contact and speed on the aging team.
Next: Ten worst position players in baseball
It is not going to be easy for the New York Yankees to get out of this hole, but a couple of trades and some smart signings in the coming years could help the future of the squad.