New York Yankees: Winners and losers from the first week of May

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NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 06: (L-R) Managing General Partner, Co-Chairperson Hal Steinbrenner, Senior Vice President, General Manager Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone pose for a photo at Yankee Stadium on December 6, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

Winner: Brian Cashman

I would be remiss not to credit Brian Cashman, the architect of this dominant New York Yankees team, for their recent success. The speed at which he turned this team from “retooling” to World Series contenders is unprecedented.

A few trades that he made, and one he didn’t make, are particularly impressive and are huge reasons why this team is playing so well.

Back in December of 2014, Cashman sent fringe starter Shane Greene to the Detroit Tigers in a three-team trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, getting shortstop Didi Gregorius in return. Enough said, right? Greene has actually become a decent MLB reliever, posting a 2.66 ERA in 71 appearances last year for Detroit and he’s now the Tigers closer. However, Gregorius is an MVP candidate, hitting .311 with 10 home runs and 30 RBI. Didi has made it a seamless transition from Derek Jeter at shortstop and is an invaluable piece to the 2018 New York Yankees.

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In July of 2016, the Yankees were doing something unheard of in the Bronx: selling at the trade deadline. Cashman flipped closer Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs for top prospect Gleyber Torres, former first-round pick Billy McKinney, former Yankee Adam Warren, and Rashad Crawford. Chapman was set to become a free agent the following offseason, making New York’s return even more impressive.

Warren has been an important part of the Yankees’ bullpen since returning to the Bronx (although he’s currently on the disabled list). McKinney provided quality outfield depth, getting a hit in his first big league at-bat before landing on the disabled list after his second major league game. The biggest part of this trade, however, is obviously Torres, who’s taken over at second base for New York and doesn’t appear to have plans of giving it back. We talked about Torres’s heroics, both at the plate and in the field. He looks every bit like a future superstar.

The kicker here is that Chapman re-signed with New York after winning a World Series with the Cubs and he’s returned to his role as Yankees closer, looking as dominant as ever this season.

Another trade that has impacted the 2018 New York Yankees is one that Cashman didn’t make. Many assumed that the Yankees landing Gerrit Cole was a given. However, Cashman refused to give up prospect Miguel Andujar. Cole has been admittedly dominant after being traded to the Houston Astros (3-1, 1.42 ERA, 77 K in 50.2 IP), but Andujar has played a key role in the Yankees’ recent streak of red-hot play. Cole would be great in New York’s rotation right now, but I can’t fault Cashman for wanting to hang on to Andujar. Andujar looks like a long-term fixture in the Yankees lineup, whereas Cole will be a free agent following the 2019 season.

Next: Creating an all-time Yankees starting lineup

In the Bronx, success is obviously counted in championships, but Cashman has done a remarkable job setting this New York Yankees team up to contend for a World Series not just this year, but for the next decade! With most of the pieces he put together playing fantastic baseball right now, Cashman is a winner this week.

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