CASHMAN'S LATEST MOVE IS A HEAD SCRATCHER & A LOG JAM ALL-IN-ONE!

If the Yankees didn't pick up any A's players for the next decade or so I really wouldn't mind. They haven't had a lot of luck dipping into the A's pool, and the latest move of picking up CJ Alexander on a waiver claim is pretty bizarre.

I'm all about depth, and that's exactly what this move is. But two weeks ago we said BRIAN CASHMAN IS LOOKING FOR A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK TO UPGRADE THE YANKEE ROSTER because his mission was for a right-handed infielder. A right-handed infielder doesn't sound hard but, this year it is. So I guess that is why we have a lefty....to stash down in Triple-A.

But for whatever reason, the Yankees feel it is necessary to use a 40-man roster spot on Alexander. He's only had four hits in his 25 plate appearances. The Yankees have had some bad luck in the infield this year with the habitual missed time from DJ LeMahieu, but also Jazz Chisholm and most recently losing Oswaldo Cabrera due to an ankle fracture. It never hurts to have some backup but is this a log jam in the making?

Right now Pablo Reyes and Oswald Peraza are ahead of Alexander on the big-league depth chart in terms of backup infielders, so how is Alexander supposed to crack the roster? It feels like a huge task to achieve unless the Yankees are getting ready to DFA one of the other guys? 

It feels like another log jam right now. Even if there is a solution coming to all of this, it is just another classic example of Cashman going dumpster diving in hopes of capturing lightning in a bottle. The Yankees have needed upgrades for a while, we've known it, and Cashman has told us what he's looking for.... but this just doesn't add up.

There are 50 days until the MLB trade deadline - this isn't the move that upgrades the Yankees. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

WHY DID THE YANKEES MAKE THIS MOVE?

In a move that left most of us blinking at our phones like we just read a typo, the New York Yankees used one of their open 40-man roster spots on Sunday to claim CJ Alexander off waivers from…the Oakland Athletics. Yes, those A's. Yes, CJ Alexander. Yes, we’re also Googling him.

This all started when the A’s needed to clear space for right-hander Michael Kelly, who was returning from MLB’s “You Gambled on What?!” list. Kelly had been exiled to the restricted list after a suspension for some small-time betting activity—think more parlay slips than Pete Rose. As Kelly returned, Alexander hit the waiver wire like a barely-used couch on the sidewalk—and the Yankees, apparently redecorating, scooped him up.

So, who is CJ Alexander? He's got a smooth lefty swing that occasionally shows signs of life in Triple-A. “Occasionally” being the operative word. The guy looks the part—tall, athletic, hits from the left side—but hasn’t exactly forced his way into the big leagues. He’s 27 and still trying to figure it out in the minors. But hey, he’s a third baseman and the Yankees love a good lottery ticket.

Maybe this was about depth. Maybe it’s about needing another bat for Scranton while waiting for the next minor-league savior to arrive. Maybe there’s a hidden analytical gem here. Or maybe… just maybe, the Yankees saw a guy the A’s didn’t want and thought, “Sure. Why not?”

But here’s the real question: Why did we do this?

Of all the options out there, of all the needs this roster has, this is the move that burns a 40-man spot?

We get it—depth matters. But this is like using your one phone call from jail to order takeout. Feels…misplaced.

The Yankees will now see if Alexander can channel that swing into something productive. Until then, he’s a name on a list and a bat in a RailRiders uniform. Maybe he clicks. Maybe he’s just a placeholder. Either way, CJ, welcome aboard. We’ll be over here wondering what just happened.