The New York Yankees have always had the “win now” attitude, and losing four of their five starters to injury has not changed it one bit. On Tuesday, the Yankees added offense when they acquired third baseman Chase Headley and $1 million from the San Diego Padres for rookie infielder Yangervis Solarte and pitching prospect Rafael De Paula. Earlier this month, they traded struggling Vidal Nuno for Brandon McCarthy, who has pitched great in his first two starts.
Cashman is not finished. He wants more starting pitching, especially from the left side. CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reported Tuesday that Cashman has begun talks with the Chicago White Sox for lefty John Danks. While Heyman says the talks are in the early stages, the discussions continue. Danks is 8-6 with a 4.35 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 20 starts. That is not a spectacular line, but neither was McCarthy’s 3-10 record, 5.01 ERA, and 1.38 WHIP with the Diamondbacks. So far, McCarthy looks like a great pick-up for Cashman.
MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reported Tuesday that the White Sox have started shopping Danks, who has a limited no-trade clause. Merkin says that the White Sox need Danks’s approval to trade him to any of six particular teams (including four contenders), but they Yankees are not on that list. Heyman could not confirm or deny the Yankees’s listing. Merkin quoted Danks Tuesday discussing the trade rumors. Said Danks,
“Yeah, nothing changes. It is what it is. It’s part of it. Something happens, we’ll deal with it then…. It certainly would be something I would sit down with [his wife] Ashley and kind of weigh the pros and cons. But I hadn’t really given much thought to it.”
Danks’s contract calls for $34 million from now through 2016, and the Yankees could easily pay it.
Danks, though, is not the only lefty available. Rumors have Tampa Bay’s David Price going to any number of contenders — even the Chicago Cubs. The Rays, however, have the Majors’ best July record and are only 5.5 games out of a wild card position as play begins on July 23. They may want to hold onto Price, who still has another year on his contract, to see if they can stay in contention.
The Phillies could make their ace, Cliff Lee, available, but CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa said earlier this week that the Phillies might want to wait until August to trade him. Waiting, though, would mean Lee would have to clear waivers first; he would never clear because every team would want him, but the Yankees are one of the few teams that could pay his remaining 2014 salary plus the $25 million he will get next year.
Cashman should try for Lee first — before July 31. If he cannot get Lee, then Danks could work out. Danks’s numbers may not impress everyone, but manager Joe Girardi has a knack for using players in situations in which they can succeed and getting the best from them. He could do the same for Danks should he get the lefty in his rotation.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jamie Squire/Getty Images