AL Notes – Yankees Wallowing In Mediocrity, Deadline Sellers Lining Up

After Gerrit Cole’s three-hit, 129-pitch complete game masterpiece in a 1-0 victory over Houston on Saturday, the New York Yankees were a clean ninth inning away from sweeping the Astros, going 5-1 on a six-game road trip and gaining momentum entering the All-Star break, but the Bronx Bombers bullpen weakened by overuse due the absence of Zack Britton (hamstring) and Jonathan Loasaiga (COVID protocol) and the ineffectiveness of closer Aroldis Chapman could not hold a five-run lead and lost 8-7 on a three-run homer by Jose Altuve.

“I’ve said it a handful of times how much, some of (our losses) have stung and as well as we’ve played this week, to not finish it off right there is difficult, but we’ve got a rally from the adversity,” Boone said after the loss. “You got a five-run lead in the ninth and a chance to sweep a great team, and they come back, that hurts a lot,”

The Yankees are 46-43 and 4.5 games back of the second wildcard spot at the break and face the first-place Boston Red Sox eight of the next 10 games, who they have lost all six games to this season. New York’s struggles have prompted calls for the firing of manager Aaron Boone and GM Brian Cashman.

Owner Hal Steinbrenner gave both a vote of confidence last week, blamed the players for the club’s struggles, and expressed a willingness to go over the luxury tax and be buyers before the July 31 trade deadline, but the only move that Cashman has made so far was acquiring platoon outfielder Tim Locastro from Arizona for a minor league pitcher.

With just over two weeks to go until the deadline, the outcome of the games against the Red Sox will likely determine whether Cashman chooses to throw caution to the wind to add a much-needed left-handed bat or a starter.

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Sell! Sell! Sell!

American League also-rans are prepping to be sellers to contending clubs in need of bolstering their bullpen or adding one more bat to their lineup.

The big seller in the AL Central will be the disappointing Twins, who have veteran DH Nelson Cruz, shortstop Andrelton Simmons, and starters J.A. Happ and Michael Pineda on expiring contracts. Kansas City will likely move veteran reliever Greg Holland (with a $2.75 million salary), and Detroit could shop infielder Jonathan Schoop and pitcher Wily Peralta.

The only club in the AL East that will be selling is Baltimore, but Maikel Franco, Freddy Galvis, and Matt Harvey will not attract much of a return. In the West, everyone except Texas is in the race for the division or the wildcard, so they will stand pat or buy, while the Rangers will shop innings-eater Jordan Lyles and possibly veteran reliever Ian Kennedy.