The clock is ticking for the New York Yankees to make moves at the trade deadline. General manager Brian Cashman has made it clear that the team will not be making any moves just to say they made moves. He has no intentions of giving up top prospects for rental contracts in order to make the playoffs. However, the Yankees have holes and weaknesses to address and there are still players out there they could easily acquire.
According Jayson Stark of ESPN, the Yankees are still very much alive for both Cole Hamels and David Price. New York has been linked to both players for some time now and with the deadline just days away, they could try and make a move. Stark reports the Yankees favor Hamels because he is locked in for three more years making a trade more worth the while. They have reportedly called the Philadelphia Phillies to hear about a potential price tag on the pitcher which has gone up since his ho-hit performance on Saturday.
Price is more of a wild card. According to the Detroit Free Press, the pitcher has no plans on re-signing with the Tigers if he is not traded by the deadline. Meanwhile, any team that does acquire him risks losing him for nothing in return. This is what the Yankees want to avoid. If they are going to give up players for someone else, they want to make sure that other person is going to stick around. They could easily have the money to give Price and with CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova struggling, there is a need for him, but the Yankees might not want to take the risk.
There are players with longer contracts available on the market. James Shields could be a solid option as he still has years left on his contract. The same can be said for Craig Kimbrel who is locked in for a few more years. Jim Johnson still has time on his contract and would not cost a lot to add to the closer rotation.
According to the New York Post, the best bang for their buck could be Ben Zobrist. While the utility man does have an expiring contract, he would be the ideal replacement for Stephen Drew who is struggling heavily at the deadline. Zobrist can play anywhere on the field. Cashman stated that is the type of play he wants from Drew, but there is doubt he will get it. The Yankees have plenty of trade options in front of them. The question is whether or not they actually pull the trigger on a deal getting done.
