Why the Yankees’ latest slump highlights their desperate trade deadline needs
BOSTON — Imagine a lobster roll slathered in mayonnaise, tossed onto the sidewalk on Boylston Street and left to bake in the sun for hours.
That’s the stinking state the New York Yankees are in right now.
The sour smell emanating from Fenway Park came from yet another botched performance. Starting pitcher Nestor Cortes couldn’t get past the fifth inning and relievers Luke Weaver and Clay Holmes couldn’t get it done in a 9-7 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.
With Tuesday’s trade deadline approaching, the loss was yet another signal to general manager Brian Cashman that his pitching staff needs reinforcements if his team wants to avoid being knocked out of the playoffs altogether.
“I think for two months we were the best rotation in baseball,” Cortes said. “Now we’re the worst rotation or the worst pitching staff.”
The Yankees fell to 60-45. Since June 15, they are 10-23, the worst record in baseball. They are two games back of first place in the American League East thanks to a loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. But they are also just 2 1/2 games ahead in the AL wild-card race, a stunning collapse considering their division lead was 4 1/2 games on June 6. The Yankees have lost their last three games and five of seven since the All-Star break.
“This is absolutely the time to take a moment to think about our season,” manager Aaron Boone said.
“It must be picked up and turned around as quickly as possible,” Cortes said.
Aaron Boone discusses tonight’s loss with @M_Marakovits and the rest of the media. photo.twitter.com/EQGxbkUBTO
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) July 27, 2024
On Friday, the Yankees stood still and their competition took action.
The Orioles strengthened their position by adding right-handed starting pitcher Zach Eflin from the Tampa Bay Rays. Baltimore also acquired reliever Seranthony Domínguez and center fielder Cristian Pache from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for outfielder Austin Hays.
The New York Mets acquired reliever Ryne Stanek from the Seattle Mariners. The Red Sox acquired starting pitcher James Paxton from the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Toronto Blue Jays added outfielder Jonatan Clase and catcher Jacob Sharp from the Mariners for reliever Yimi García.
The Yankees still have plenty of time to add to their roster, but their wish list will be long. At the very least, they could use help at both corner infield positions. The impending returns of Jasson Domínguez (oblique) and Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) could bolster their left field and DH positions.
But Friday was another example of how they need a high-level replacement staff, and perhaps even a rotational arm.
Cortes lasted just 4 2/3 innings, surrendering four earned runs on nine hits, two walks and five strikeouts. In the fifth, Cortes gave up a leadoff walk, a double and then a sacrifice fly to give the Red Sox a 4-3 lead. Then, with two outs, Cortes hit a batter to put runners on the corners.
When Boone came out of the dugout to get Cortes out, the starter held the baseball in his glove for a second longer, hoping Boone would change his mind and let it sit. Boone didn’t.
As of June 15, the Yankees have the 29th-ranked rotational ERA in baseball at 6.05. The story on the tape: Cortes at 5.40, Marcus Stroman at 5.28, Gerrit Cole at 5.40, Luis Gil at 6.36 and Carlos Rodón at 7.94.
And on Friday, their bullpen ERA of 4.30 was the 19th highest since June 15.
That took another blow when Weaver, who had been so good all year, and Holmes, an All-Star, struggled and gave the game away late in the game despite back-to-back homers by Aaron Judge (three-run HR) and Austin Wells that gave the Yankees a 7-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh. The hits gave the team an energy boost. Judge’s homer traveled a whopping 470 feet to center field.
470 foot explosion from Cap 🫡 photo.twitter.com/0gv2hj6mS8
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 27, 2024
“It was definitely a big hit at the time and it’s the kind of hit you look for after a lot of good at-bats all night, but we’ve got to finish it off,” Boone said.
Weaver surrendered a two-run homer to Ceddanne Rafaela to cut the Yankees’ lead to one in the seventh. In the eighth, Weaver, who had thrown 20 pitches in the previous inning, appeared exhausted, giving up a leadoff single and a walk. Holmes then replaced him with one out, looking for the five-out save.
He immediately collapsed, surrendering an RBI double to left-hander Wilyer Abreu to tie the score and then a two-run single to the next batter — Masataka Yoshida, also a left-hander — to put Boston ahead for good, 9-7.
“They got him in line tonight, and we haven’t seen that much,” Boone said of Holmes, who has a 7.15 ERA over his last 12 appearances.
The Yankees’ pitching problems surprised Cortes.
“I don’t know if the league realizes what we’re planning to do, or if we’re not putting enough effort into situations where we can put players in,” he said.
On Wednesday, as the Yankees were embarrassed by the Mets to complete a Subway Series sweep, Boone said the Yankees were a “really good team that has been playing (badly) lately. We’ve got to get better.”
They’ll also likely need to get better pitching, with relievers like Tanner Scott of the Miami Marlins, Mason Miller of the Oakland Athletics and Carlos Estévez of the Los Angeles Angels, among others, still on the market. A trade for a starting pitcher seems unlikely, especially with Clarke Schmidt (lat) returning from the 60-day injured list, but it can’t be ruled out.
After all, Friday’s loss showed that the Yankees have not been able to rely on their rotation or bullpen for some time.
“This is when you learn a lot about your team and a lot about your individual players,” Boone said.
And a lot about the confidence Yankees management has that the club can turn the tide with outside help.
(Photo by Clay Holmes: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
