Where do the Yankees Go from Here Amidst a 5 Game Losing Streak
Where do the Yankees look to go from here after losing 5 games in a row and 8 of their last 10 games?
The New York Yankees are coming off of an embarrassing two-game set against their crosstown rivals the New York Mets and another embarrassing performance Thursday night against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees surrendered 19 total runs to the Mets in just two games followed by another 9 runs surrendered to the Blue Jays. It also seems like they are getting zero offensive production from anyone not named Aaron Judge or Juan Soto. The Yankees have had a few injuries on offense over the past few weeks, but the struggles are much more than the team missing Anthony Rizzo who was hitting just .223, and Giancarlo Stanton who has good numbers this season but has a lot of empty stats. Where do the Yankees go from here?
The Yankees have struggled mightily since the Dodgers series, struggling to put together runs and in turn wins. After last night’s loss to the Blue Jays, the Yankees have lost five in a row including 8 of their last 10, and are now tied for first in the American League East with the Baltimore Orioles.
With the team’s pitching coming back down to earth, and Gerrit Cole not being sharp in his second start back from nerve inflammation and edema in his throwing elbow, the team can’t afford to continue sending this same lineup out there every day. The Yankees missed out on getting Luis Arraez and now need to switch the focus to a player like Ryan McMahon who could fit nicely in the Yankees lineup playing second base. This addition could also be addition by subtraction as adding McMahon would signal the end of Gleyber Torres’ tenure as a Yankee. Torres’ days in New York seem to be numbered and if the team turns to the trade market to add a second baseman Torres would surely be on the move, something fans are looking forward to if the Yankees can make it happen.
Another place the Yankees can look to upgrade the lineup is third and first base, as the production from these two positions has been extremely low and with the team struggling as badly as they are right now, an upgrade is inevitable. Adding Christian Walker or Josh Bell, two guys who may be available very soon from their respective teams, would solve the Yankees’ problem of limited offensive production at first base. Third base is a little harder to try and address at this point in the season when you look at the players who might be available. Starting a younger Oswaldo Cabrera over the aging DJ Lemahieu seems like the most realistic option for the Yankees for the rest of the season at the hot corner.
The Yankees bullpen has been really bad over the past few weeks, and they must add multiple legitimate arms to the bullpen, otherwise, the team is going to continue to plummet and have another early-round postseason exit this year. Players like Tanner Scott and Mason Miller seem like must-haves for the Yankees as they look to stop the ship from sinking before it’s too late.
Starting pitching has also become an issue for the Yankees, something nobody may have seen coming. The Yankees have some serious questions at starting pitching as we approach July with Carlos Rodon looking like the pitcher he was last year, Luis Gil potentially having some fatigue set in, and Gerrit Cole not looking the sharpest in his first two starts back from injury. All of this is a concern for the Yankees and adding a reliable arm at the deadline could also prove to be important for the team on their road to October Baseball.
Addressing every need may not be realistic, but if the Yankees want to compete in October, they have to address the bullpen and at least one infield position. If the Yankees can’t turn it around quickly, they’re going to be chasing the young Baltimore Orioles throughout the entire summer.
