The Yankees have made a bunch of under the radar, unimpressive moves over the past couple of weeks leading to some of us fans cracking jokes at their expense. Comments like "Another game changer" or "Look out, the Yankees are making moves!" have come up. I'd have my fair share of laughs reading some of these comments, which are mostly made in fun, but what they are doing is beneficial to the organization as a whole.
The Yankees made trades to obtain LHP Tyler Olson and utility man Ronald Torreyes from the Dodgers and RHP Kirby Yates from the Indians, plus signed RHP Anthony Swarzak, INF Donovan Solano and Jonathan Diaz to minor league contracts. They even snagged Lane Adams.
I honestly had never heard of any of these guys! But what they do bring is depth to minor league system. Plus you never know, one of these guys could be a diamond in the rough! I'm not holding my breath but you never know!
As important as it is to obviously add depth to the Major League roster, it's equally as important to add depth to the upper echelons of the minors. By doing so they can leave some of the younger players still developing at the level they belong rather than promoting them out of necessity.
I know it's tough for us to swallow as Yankees fans that they aren't making blockbuster deals day in and day out. In the back of our minds we are awaiting the breaking news of the blockbuster trade or the big time free agent signing but that's not the way they are operating now. I've mentioned in several other pieces that we very well may have to wait a year or two for the large contracts to begin to expire.
With that being said, there are still several free agents that could fall into the Yankees laps. Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes, for example, remain unsigned and teams seem unwilling to offer them long-term deals. Several outlets have speculated that they could be signed for a one-year deal with the hope that next year's slimmer free agent class would allow them to earn their pay day.
So for you fans hoping for that big name to come through, there is still hope!!!
What Brian Cashman has done however is created one of the league's best bullpens, added a young Aaron Hicks, who has some big upside, brought in some young power arms to the minor leagues via trades and not spent much money at all. These moves will all allow the organization to continue to get stronger as a whole, even though the Big League club shows modest improvement from last year, minus Aroldis Chapman and Hicks.
I am excited for the future and also excited to continue to watch the youth movement develop. The off season is not over and I'm sure Brian Cashman is still taking calls regarding trades. Maybe they'll surprise us, maybe not.
But all in all, these little moves add up and the Yankees organization, from top to bottom, is stronger now than it was this time last year.
As I wait out the winter, I'll (impatiently) take it.
--Dan Lucia
BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @DManLucia
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