Yankees or Mets, who had the better deadline? Well, both were impressive
Yankees GM Brian Cashman, left, and Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns. Credit: AP / Matt York; Kendall Rodriguez
It’s difficult to say which team, the Yankees or Mets, faced more pressure at this year’s trade deadline. Both began the season with World Series expectations, payrolls well over $300 million and the whole Juan Soto thing between them. Based on the frenzied final hours before Thursday’s pencils-down call at 6 p.m., however, we do know the club that acted as if more was at stake, and that would be the one in the Bronx.
Starting with former Pirates closer David Bednar at about 2 p.m., general manager Brian Cashman reeled off four trades in the next four hours, including one for Rays infielder Jose Caballero — who was playing at Yankee Stadium at the time — and another that wrested Camilo Doval from the Giants in the waning minutes before the deadline.
The sheer volume was impressive. Seven total players in the span of seven days designed for a badly needed roster makeover: a real third baseman in Ryan McMahon, three high-leverage bullpen arms in Bednar, Doval and Jake Bird, and some marginal positional upgrades — Caballero, Amed Rosario and Austin Slater — that could carry a greater impact than what appears on paper.
Take Caballero, for instance. Suddenly, the Yankees have another shortstop, so the excuse of riding Anthony Volpe non-stop because they didn’t have any alternatives is now defunct. While Cashman denied that the move was specifically executed with the Volpe conundrum in mind, it’s only logical that his recent struggles played some small part in the decision, as they should have.
“I just think he provides a lot of flexibility and more choices,” Cashman said Thursday on a Zoom call with reporters. “It had nothing to do with the Volpe situation. We’re trying to improve on all aspects of the roster, so we feel like we improved on that.”
Either way, replacing a zero threat in Oswald Peraza — who was shipped to the Angels in another deal — with someone like Caballero is enough to get people’s attention. Caballero doesn’t have Volpe’s power numbers (two homers, .226 batting average), but he has stolen 34 bases, tied for the most in the majors, an element that is among Volpe’s regressions this season.
Cashman was all about giving manager Aaron Boone more choices, which is where the lefty-mashing duo of Rosario and Slater come into play. For a bullpen that was uncharacteristically light in the velo department, he loaded up with two hard throwers in Bednar (97.1-mph average fastball) and Doval (98.1).
Did Cashman “go to town” at this deadline, as he promised weeks back? That’s debatable. There was no big splash — no Sandy Alcantara for the rotation, no Eugenio Suarez to help fill Aaron Judge’s power void — so the Yankees now have to prove this retooling indeed is enough to get them back on a World Series track, or at least make sure of an October ticket.
What Cashman did do was pass on using the highly regarded prospect tandem of Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. to better his odds, something that a few of his more aggressive peers, such as the Padres’ A.J. Preller, never let get in the way.
“I know we’re better,” Cashman said. “Just keeping it simple — we’re better today than we were yesterday. So mission accomplished there.”
Grading on that scale, the Mets also scored high, as president of baseball operations David Stearns did exactly what he said he’d do — add multiple bullpen arms — and one thing he wasn’t sure of accomplishing, which was acquire a centerfielder.
Stearns got his lefty in Gregory Soto last Friday, then made two trades within hours of each other Wednesday to bring in two shutdown relievers in fireballer Ryan Helsley and submariner Tyler Rogers.
Like Cashman, Stearns was unable to secure a rotation upgrade, but some did get moved at the last minute Thursday: Shane Bieber, Merrill Kelly, JP Sears, Dustin May. The big needle-movers stayed put, however, which typically means the prices were exorbitant.
It’s the bullpens that win come October, though, and Stearns also believes he has coverage in the minors (Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat) if his rotation springs a leak or two.
“We were engaged,” Stearns said of the limited starters market. “I think there are multiple ways to build a pitching staff and we focused on the back end of the pitching staff — the bullpen.”
Stearns broadcast that approach going into the deadline, and his strategy played out as expected. Going after Mullins, however, seems more like someone for the Mets to dream on during the stretch run. Mullins, in the midst of a down year at the plate, had a highlight-reel week in the field — robbing a pair of homers as trade talks heated up — and also put together a strong July offensively (.290 batting average, .868 OPS) to attract suitors.
Mullins threads the needle at the position for the Mets: much better bat than the glove-first Tyrone Taylor and far superior defensively to Jeff McNeil, who’s been holding his own in center but is a risky proposition (including health-wise) going to that well too often.
It’s also realistic to think that Mullins, plucked from the disappointing Orioles’ fire sale, is the perfect change-of-scenery candidate who will thrive at a rocking Citi Field.
“We talk a lot about ways that players can impact games that may not always show up in the boxscore,” Stearns said. “We think Cedric has the ability to do a lot of that.”
Within hours, or even days, of the deadline’s expiration, it’s impossible to know for sure if the Yankees or Mets had the better deadline. By the end of October, however, the verdict will be clear.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
