Deadline Grade: B
Overall, I think most of the moves the Yankees made were great, but there were a few moves that puzzled me a bit.
First off, I think the Andrew Benintendi trade was great value, the Yankees got a good player with a high average and OBP, but a lack of power. I think this was a good move, but not a great one, since I’m a little hesitant to say that Benintendi will sustain the success he had with the Royals over the rest of the season with the Yankees. The next two moves cost Cashman quite a bit (a few of the Yankees’ top pitching prospects), as he grabbed two talented sinker ballers in Scott Effross and Lou Trivino, as well as highly touted starter Frankie Montas. Despite the high price, I think these 3 pitchers will be crucial pieces down the stretch, and I believe these were phenomenal moves. An unfortunate but necessary trade was moving Joey Gallo for a high-upside reliever prospect in Clayton Beeter. All in all, I like the return, but handing a former All-Star with elite traits over to the Dodgers, a fellow World Series contender, makes me feel uneasy about this trade. Lastly, the most surprising, and in my opinion, worst move, was trading Jordan Montgomery away. I thought the Yankees’ plan going into the deadline was to expand the rotation depth, but with Severino going on the 60-Day IL and trading Jordan Montgomery away, I feel the Yankees did the opposite here. They got a decent return with a Gold Glove-caliber CF in Harrison Bader, but with a crowded outfield and Bader’s limited upside as a hitter, I struggle to see where the positive impact from this trade will come. All in all, a solid deadline for the Yankees; they added talent without giving up their premium hitting prospects, but their now questionable rotation depth worries me as we get down the stretch of the regular season.
