For a team in such an enviable position—first in the division, best record in the American League, on track to surpass 100 wins—the Yankees’ front office still entered deadline season with obvious work to do before Aug. 2. They needed a left-handed hitter. They also could use a starter and one more reliever, too.
And now they’ve taken care of all of it.
After crossing off the lefty hitter by getting Andrew Benintendi from the Royals on Wednesday, they made a much bigger splash on Monday, striking a deal with the A’s for starter Frankie Montas and reliever Lou Trivino. Montas represents the best starter available now that Luis Castillo is off the market with the Mariners. Trivino, meanwhile, offers more upside than you might expect given his 6.47 ERA. (More on that later.) The asking price was four young players—pitchers Ken Waldichuk, JP Sears and Luis Medina, and second baseman Cooper Bowman—who offer real promise but, other than Waldichuk, do not represent any of the club’s top minor leaguers.
