During the 2024 trade deadline review, the Yankees made some acquisitions without giving up their prospects or snagging high-profile players.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., Mark Leiter Jr., and Enyel De Los Santos joined the team with Chisholm stepping in for DJ LeMahieu and impressing with four home runs in his first three games-though questions remain about his skills at third base.
Talking about Leiter, he strengthens the bullpen while De Los Santos is viewed as a player for development. Now, in light of the Yankees’ MLB trade deadline moves, taking to Foul Territory, insiders, Alanna Rizzo and Ken Rosenthal shared their thoughts on the the recent moves in New York.
Firstly, Rizzo commended the addition of Chisholm for his personality and positive impact on team morale as clearly seen by the Yankees’ winning streak since he arrived on Monday.
“I think for the first winner, for me, it’s the New York Yankees. Obviously, Jazz Chisholm gives them a boost as far as personality is concerned. They’re undefeated since the acquisition of the dynamic outfielder.”
She also spoke about the right-handed pitchers, Leiter and De Los Santos adding some value in the team to cater to the weakness in the bullpen. However, Rizzo shared how she wished for a left-handed reliever to be added to the team, who would support the struggling Clay Holmes.
On the other hand, Rosenthal nodded in agreement that the Yankees improved their bullpen with strikeout potential, which was crucial, and further mentioned that acquiring starter, Jack Flaherty could have taken their trade deadline performance to another level.
Plus, Rosenthal is also worried regarding Chisholm’s shift to 3B, a position he hadn’t played before in his career. Rosenthal shared-
“I was a little concerned initially and still concerned about Jazz Chisholm Junior at the third base position since he had never played there professionally.”
No. 1 Winner of the trade deadline? @alannarizzo picks the Yankees and @Ken_Rosenthal shares his thoughts. pic.twitter.com/bqhyLRc1Gv
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 1, 2024
Despite this, Chisholm’s agility and strong start were viewed optimistically by The Athletic’s writer. Having said that, even though the Yankees haven’t made headline-grabbing trades this year, they have shown progress as a team from the beginning of the week.
Yankees’ misstep at the 2024 MLB trade deadline
At the MLB trade deadline on July 30, the New York Yankees fumbled to fill all their roster gaps. They didn’t secure another starting pitcher despite concerns about Luis Gil’s workload and the inconsistent performances from Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodón, Marcus Stroman, and a fatigued Gerrit Cole.
Also, depending on Clarke Schmidt, whose return from injury remains uncertain nothing but a big gamble. In addition, the Yankees came close to acquiring Jack Flaherty but ultimately decided against it due to worries about his medical status.
Moreover, Cashman missed an opportunity to bring in a right-handed hitting left fielder to provide support for Alex Verdugo, who struggles against left-handed pitchers.
Lane Thomas, who would have been a fit for this role ended up joining the Guardians. Also, the Yankees missed the bus to revamp their bullpen with top-notch relievers like Lucas Erceg, Andrew Chafin, or Tanner Banks.
