The trade deadline came and went without the Yankees addressing their most glaring need in left field.
Despite a revolving door of underwhelming fill-ins and out-of-position utility players, Brian Cashman didn’t find any suitable options at the deadline to help out in left field, where the Yankees have been a disaster defensively, and at most times, offensively as well.
It was a position that seemed to be a need in the offseason as well, but Cashman expressed confidence in Aaron Hicks and Oswaldo Cabrera, which led to Hicks being designated for assignment and Cabrera being sent to the minors.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Cashman hinted that “budget” constraints held the team back from adding a left fielder.
“It's been one that we've tried to upgrade. Getting your hands on it is the more challenging aspect of it,” Cashman said, via Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.
“What’s been available from the wintertime with the decision we made within the budgets we had…I think this is our highest payroll we’ve had. That’s what we had to show for it. We couldn’t push through any further unless we were able to subtract a significant amount to add a significant amount. We’ve relied on the kids and went with the competition going into spring training and it’s led us to where we’re at right now.”
It's hardly the answer Yankee fans want to hear from the most valuable franchise in the league, on a night where more than 40,000 fans came to watch a last place team, but it is the reality of the situation, and the lack of action cost the Yankees dearly in 2023, in a narrative that many saw coming after the offseason.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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