Yankees refused to trade this player for Tarik Skubal
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Yankees refused to trade this player for Tarik Skubal originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Yankees had an intriguing trade deadline.
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In the eyes of many people around the Majors, it was underwhelming. The AL East club did not address a taxed bullpen and failed to make an upgrade at catcher.
The Yankees were one of the teams that had trade discussions involving ace Tarik Skubal before the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired the two-time Cy Young Award winner from the Detroit Tigers.
According to The Athletic's Brendan Kuty, the Tigers requested that shortstop George Lombard Jr., New York's top prospect who was promoted to the Majors late Monday night, be involved in the deal for Skubal.
"[Brian] Cashman didn’t say specifically that the Tigers wanted the 21-year-old, but it was clear to whom he was alluding," Kuty wrote.
Yankees rejected Tigers' trade proposal for Skubal
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman did not budge. The organization views Lombard as the shortstop of the future.
“They did have some asks our way that we were unwilling to do,” Cashman told reporters, including Kuty. “But it was a very specific ask and a certain player — and a player we weren’t willing to play with in that arena despite Tarik Skubal, despite how good of a pitcher he is.”
Instead of Skubal, who would have bolstered an already strong rotation, the Yankees opted to keep Lombard and add two bats for their struggling lineup.
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First baseman Luis Garcia Jr. and outfielder Heliot Ramos could be key contributors down the stretch.
But neither player addressed the Yankees' two glaring needs at the deadline. Cashman could pursue Skubal during the offseason, but the impending free agent will be an expensive addition.
Since Lombard is highly regarded, the juice wasn't worth the squeeze for the Yankees.