CHICAGO - The Yankees’ trade-deadline push got a little louder after a messy finish in the 12th inning Tuesday night, and manager Aaron Boone is right in the middle of it.
After the Yankees lost 6-5 to the White Sox on Edgar Quero’s bloop single to center field off Ryan Yarbrough, Boone made clear he’s not just waiting on updates from the front office. He’s weighing in, too.
“I throw my cents in here and there,” Boone said. “I’ve been texting with different front office guys, sending my little thought bubbles to them.”
That urgency came into focus on a rough play at third base in the 11th inning. With two outs and the White Sox trailing 5-4, catcher Ali Sanchez thought Munetaka Murakami had drifted too far off third. Sanchez fired a throw that skipped off Ryan McMahon’s glove and into left field, letting the tying run score.
“We both just did a horseshit job on that play,” McMahon said after the game.
Sanchez, who had hit his first career homer two nights earlier, said he and McMahon both believed Murakami was slow getting back.
“Me and McMahon felt (Murakami) was getting a little slow back to the base and I just made a bad throw,” Sanchez said.
McMahon took his share of the blame, too.
“I’ve got to find a way to block that, but I overran it a little bit,” he said.
Boone didn’t love the execution, but he also wasn’t interested in blasting Sanchez for making an aggressive play.
“We’re playing catch,” he said. “We’re big leaguers.
We’re not going to not do things. Obviously, an option is to hold it, but it comes down to we’ve got to play catch better than that.”
The question hanging over the loss was obvious: did it strengthen the case for the Yankees to chase a catcher before Monday’s trade deadline?
Sanchez was the only Yankees hitter who didn’t get multiple chances at the plate, grounding out with two on and two outs in the 12th in his lone at-bat. Austin Wells went 0-for-4 while catching the first nine innings.
The bullpen situation may have nudged the deadline conversation, too. The White Sox hit two homers off Paul Blackburn in the eighth inning, turning a 4-1 Yankees lead into a tie game.
Boone said he’s been getting daily updates from general manager Brian Cashman, who is in Tampa with his staff as the deadline approaches. And the Yankees are looking at more than one lane.
Their wish list begins with Padres closer Mason Miller. It also includes a right-handed-hitting catcher who would be an upgrade from Sanchez, plus a veteran outfielder to help bridge the gap until Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger return from the injured list in late August or September.
“At the end of the day, the front office has been working hard at this for certainly weeks, but it’s even years in the making where you’re evaluating other organizations, evaluating your own organization so you’re prepared to move when something potentially comes up,” Boone said. “They’re all down there ready to do their thing, and if something presents itself, then you strike. So we’ll see.”
Boone said the Yankees still believe they’re built to make a postseason run, even if the deadline ends up bringing only smaller moves - or nothing at all.
“One thing we’ve done to this point, four months in or whatever, is we’ve given ourselves a chance to go be that team,” he said. “But there is a long way to go still. There’s a lot of you know things that we still got to navigate, and hopefully we are playing in October and we’re at our best.
“But it really is still a long way to go, and there’s twists and turns that come that you can’t account for. But I know one thing: We have a chance to be that team.”
Boone pointed to the numbers behind that confidence. The Yankees’ pitching staff has the best ERA in the majors, and the offense had scored the most runs before Judge went on the injured list in early June with a fractured rib. Stanton has been out since late April, and Bellinger has been sidelined since Saturday.
“I think we expect those guys back,” Boone said.
Judge and Bellinger may not return until September, and Stanton still has no timetable as he rehabs a calf strain and has yet to run the bases.
“The front office, they know what they’re doing,” Boone said. “They’ve been doing this for a long time. They’ve got a lot of lines in the water and you’re seeing ultimately if there’s a potential match that can improve you incrementally, or in some cases if that big deal comes about.”
In Other News...
Yankees Are Eyeing Another Deadline Bat Fans Will Want Explained
The Yankees are still surveying the market for help as the deadline approaches, and one name that has surfaced is a player from Washington whose value goes well beyond the box score. Joel Sherman reported New York has shown interest in a Nationals outfielder, a sign the club is looking hard at ways to add another bat while also weighing how much defense it can afford to give up in the process.
Washington, for its part, does not sound eager to move him. The Nationals have already made one notable deal, sending Curtis Mead to the Pirates for Connelly Early, but they are not listening on Luis Garcia Jr. and are working on an extension for Foster Griffin, which suggests they are not in a full sell-off mode. For the Yankees, the question is whether this pursuit is real enough to matter, or simply another reminder that they are still hunting for the right fit. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Have Finally Zeroed In On A Catcher Upgrade
The Yankees search for catching help appears to have moved from broad curiosity to something a little more focused, with the club checking in on several backstops as it looks for a clearer answer behind the plate. That pursuit makes sense given the way the position has lagged, and it also fits a front office that has not been shy about exploring the market when it sees a chance to upgrade.
Among the names in the mix, one stands out as the most realistic path for a deal, especially with his current club weighing a direction that could make him available. The other possibilities come with far more complications because of control, team context and how hard those clubs would be to pry loose, which is why the Yankees may be narrowing their attention even if the final fit is still not fully settled. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Deadline Idea Could Finally Address Two Problems At Once
The Yankees deadline conversation has started to circle around a pair of Mets who could help in very different ways, with Luke Weaver offering another arm for a bullpen that could use one and Tyrone Taylor bringing a steadier outfield option into the mix. Weavers appeal is obvious enough on talent alone, and Taylor has built a case as a useful all-around piece because he can handle all three outfield spots while contributing at the plate.
What makes the idea more interesting is how neatly it lines up with New Yorks needs, even if the path to getting either player is not simple. Weavers season has been split by a left hamstring strain, and Taylors status as a short-term target adds another layer to the calculus, since the Yankees would have to decide whether the fit is worth the cost in a market where every move gets scrutinized. [Read more 🡒]