Austin and I will have full trade deadline coverage on the podcast feed come Wednesday morning, but Monday’s events in Yankee land just had to be discussed. This piece was written on the pure adrenaline of seeing Rush at Madison Square Garden on the “50 Something” Tour. Before you ask, yes, seeing three musical geniuses celebrate the legacy of their incredible group and the life of their dear friend and colleague was a far better use of Monday night than watching that disaster in the Bronx would have been. The 13-7 loss was both a microcosm of the season and a fitting end to what should be called absolute failure of a trade deadline by Brian Cashman.

GM emeritus awoke from his hibernation to barely touch a scorching hot stove full of players that could have impacted his clubs’ fortunes in what is an absolutely critical season. But this market wasn’t for him, the prices were too high, much like all the other ones over the last decade plus. The Yankees live in the land of half measures and platoon options across the roster, while deploying a stunning lack of major league caliber players at key positions, though they’re not in Cashman’s book, he still feels they have championship caliber personnel. This season became pretty much now, or never once last year’s group fell short and Cody Bellinger returned, they had the pitching, they have most of the bats when healthy, now it was time to finish off this roster and improve for real. But that was too costly. Not for the Red Sox or Dodgers or Cubs or White Sox or Astros. No, the price was just right for them.

And before you try, do not come to me with “the Yankee tax in trades is unfair.” There is no proof such a thing exists, and at some point, if you’re serious about winning a title, you need to step up and do what is necessary. The Yankees have played half of the season to this point with below average options at shortstop (in the aggregate), second base, right field, third base, and catcher. Cashman himself admitted as much, especially when it came to the catching position, yet he chose this was yet another late summer day where it was time to stand on business and not pay a price. It’s not like there’s a lockout looming and your best players are aging out or anything.

Rather than make real changes he’s going to band aid this thing together, just about the only 300-million-dollar team that does so in sports. He is keeping the busted offensively impotent catcher because he “frames pitches well.” He is putting all their eggs squarely in the basket of a prospect we’re not 100% sure is ready because he has refused to get a real shortstop for years. He is keeping a second baseman whose numbers are in the toilet and whose own lax play has cost his team playoff games over the last two years. He acquired an often-injured outfielder who is a mediocre platoon bat with bad defensive skills and a first baseman who is you guessed it…going to play in a platoon with not one, but two other first baseman. He is going to entrust a collection of overworked bullpen arms who have overachieved to this point and mostly have no track record of playoff success because “the price for pitching was high.”

Because who needs Liam Hicks, Adley Rutschman, Brooks Raley, Luke Weaver, Huascar Brazoban, Clay Holmes, AJ Minter, or Luis Arraez. Just let all your fellow contenders add them to their mix while you don’t address a real issue your team has had for years. Just run the same team out there that can only score on solo shots while striking out repeatedly and waits with bated breath for the return of their vaunted sluggers who…hit solo shots and strike out a lot?! All that only made you lose 13-7 at home to a rebuilding team. Any serious organization wouldn’t act like this, but since this front office, manager and players are cosplaying as the Yankees, we’ve been past serious for years. But hey, at least they tried for Adley Rutschman before they let him go to the Red Sox who are 23-5 since bottoming out. Craig Breslow owes Brian and Aaron quite the New England seafood dinner by the way, their weak team helped breathe life into the dying husk of the Red Sox and threw in a franchise catcher as a kicker…all so we could keep Elmer Cruz Rodriguez.

So, when you’re sitting home in early October looking for something to watch, know that it’s because this front office didn’t go all in and the team was eliminated by one of their divisional rivals yet again in the worst American League…ever? While having their best pitching staff in at least 20 years…a little insult to injury there huh? Call me a hater, tell me I’m not a fan. I hope I’m wrong, but sadly I know I’m going to end up right. Afterall, this is how it’s gone for the last decade, so why change now? It’s only cost them an entire championship window.

Stay tuned for more content in the days ahead! Check out our Instagram feed for special gameday and promotional content. Our podcasts are available on Spotify. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our friends show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon.