Are Yankees still equipped to fight off the rest of the AL East? | Baseball Night in NY
On Baseball Night in NY, Will Sammon, Jim Duquette and John Jastremski discuss which AL East team improved the most at the trade deadline and whether the Yankees can still prevail in the divisional race.
Video Transcript
Which AL East team improved the most in your opinion, Jim?
I liked what Tampa did overall.
I think Peralta, with their pitching coach down there, he, Kyle Snyder, he's one of the best in the game.
I think they'll fix him in a, maybe, maybe 15 minutes.
But, uh- 15, that's it?
Just 15.
10.
Tampa, the irony.
Yeah.
But, I think with Liam Hicks, he's been an RBI gu- machine in the sport.
Very good in the National League.
And, you know, Wells, who they picked up in the bullpen, Sowinski.
Like, I think the overall package I would've picked the Red Sox, but Richman's hurt.
A- and, and has been.
He's been hurt three times this year alone, so I didn't gonna go the Red Sox route.
I was afraid you were gonna neglect the Rays, Jim, so I was prepared to go all in on the Rays, actually.
Oh, I got you too.
Yeah, baby.
Got it, baby.
Yes.
I, I, I loved what the Rays did at the j- at the deadline because they're, look, they're a small market team that just said to themselves, "Look, these are the areas that we are deficient at.
So, like, we want to address catcher.
We want to get a starter.
We want to replenish our bullpen."
Check, check, check.
Like, they did all the things that they had wanted to do.
And by the way, they had the best record in the American League.
So the best got better.
I just loved what they were able to do.
I'm a big believer in Hicks in, in that, in that lineup.
And I'm in agreement with you.
Maybe not 15 minutes.
Yeah.
But some time, a little bit of time.
One start maybe.
It's gonna be less than the two months that they have him for- Yeah where they're gonna be able to get Freddy Peralta, a better version of Freddy Peralta.
I'm gonna make it a clean sweep.
Sorry to bore the audience.
It's Tampa Bay.
I was surprised by this.
Couple of reasons.
Wow.
This sweep?
Number one- You're not happy with the Yankee bats that they added?
Ryan?
I'm happy with the bats.
I wanted a professional catcher.
I would've liked a bullpen arm.
I'm 0 for 2 as far as that goes.
Listen, Tampa, as far as those three front offices, I have the highest confidence in their front office.
They just know what they're doing.
They know how to build an operation without spending a whole lot of money.
They go and get a catcher who's got, what, 60-something RBIs on the season.
Freddy Peralta will go and bolster their starting staff.
If the Yankees had added a bullpen arm, I would've been very tempted to say the Yankees, because I do like the two bats that they brought in.
So I can't make that case with no bullpen arm and with no catcher.
I can't do it.
Duke, do you think that this was telling maybe the Yankees about w- the uncertainty with Aaron Judge, why they I'm shocked.
Like, if you would've told me two things the Yankees would have added ahead of the deadline, a catcher, an upgrade there, and a bullpen arm.
Is it maybe reading into the uncertainty of Aaron Judge?
Well, I think you have to get to when he's gonna be back.
Same thing with Bellinger.
We don't know when they're gonna be back.
I think they're gonna be back this year.
I believe them when they say at some point this year.
But if you didn't get a bat to bridge that gap, then I think they have a hard time, you know, getting to the postseason.
I, I, just ta- it's hard, really hard to, to continue this, with this offense, how bad it is, without any type o- of reinforcement.
If all of those guys get healthy, you're saying to me that Aaron Boone has too many good players?
They'll figure that out.
Well- They'll figure out the plan.
But, but- I'm not worried about the fit there, but they gotta get healthy.
And I, I'm not banking on Stanton playing at all.
They shouldn't be.
He hardly ever gets on the field.
Fair enough.
Fair enough.
My issue is not what they brought in, it's that they need Like, why would you not bring in at least a bullpen arm, even pitching?
Well, that's a good point.
I think they move Weathers to the pen.
He's been fine in the pen.
And then maybe one other.
That would be my guess.
Yeah.
Other teams seemingly got better.
Yankees maybe get a little better.
I don't think they closed the gap between themselves and the Rays, and certainly not the Dodgers.
