Cashman's Inaction Hurts Yanks Again

When I was a kid, the trading deadline was today, June 15. Therefore, today would have been the day for the general manager of the Yankees to make whatever changes he needed to make for the rest of the season, to have a serious chance at a World Series win.

The current era's trading deadline, July 31, is coming up soon. Let's take a look at the Yankees' starting pitching, and see if it is adequate to the task:

* Masahiro Tanaka: 14 starts, averaging 5.9 innings per start, 4-5, ERA 3.58, WHIP 1.181. He gives up more home runs than he should, but his control is good, and, at times, he has been betrayed by bad hitting.

* J.A. Happ: 12 starts, 6.3 innings per, 6-3, 4.66, 1.195. Got off to a great start this season, but has struggled in his last few starts. #YankeesTwitter is not happy with him.

* Domingo German: 12 starts, 5.8 innings per, 9-2, 3.86, 1.114. Great start to the season, 9-1, but had 3 bad starts, and was hurt, and has been put on the Injured List.

* CC Sabathia: 11 starts, 5.2 innings per, 3-4, 4.42, 1.404. The Big Fella has announced he is retiring at the end of this season, and it is, perhaps, none too soon.

* James Paxton: 10 starts, 4.9 innings per, 3-3, 4.04, 1.286. Not bad, but a bit shaky.

* Chad Green: 4 starts, all of the emergency variety, given the Yankees' injuries. 2 or so innings per, 1-2, 8.27, 1.790. Should not be in the major leagues.

* Jonathan Loasiga: 3 starts, 4.7 innings per, 1-1, 4.50, 1.500. Still technically a prospect, was called up because of injuries. Now, himself, on the 60-day Injured List.

* Luis Severino: Injured, hasn't yet pitched this season.

* Jordan Montgomery: Injured, hasn't yet pitched this season.

Right now, the Yankees' rotation should be Tanaka, Paxton, Happ, Sabathia and Severino. Instead, it is  Tanaka, Paxton, Happ, Sabathia, Green.

If Cashman were truly doing his job, it could be Tanaka, Dallas Keuchel, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Sabathia. Verlander was available in 2017, Keuchel was available until the start of this month, and, theoretically, Scherzer is available now.

Alas...

From Cashman, we still get what Yankee Fan Paul Simon called "The Sound of Silence."

It is shocking to see how many people still believe that Cashman is the best general manager in baseball. People talking without speaking, people hearing without listening. And the people bowed and prayed to the neon god they made.

*

The Yankees started last night's game, away to the Chicago White Sox, on the right foot. After DJ LeMahieu led off the game with a groundout, Luke Voit hit a home run. But it was all ChiSox thereafter: They scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning, and never looked back.

CC allowed another run in the 2nd. Aaron Boone replaced CC in the 5th -- understandable. With Luis Cessa -- inexcusable. Another run came home. 6-1. Cessa allowed 4 more runs in the 6th. The Yankees got an unearned run in the 9th, but that was pointless. White Sox 10, Yankees 2. WP: Lucas Giolito (10-1). No save. LP: Sabathia (3-4).

Maybe Keuchel, Scherzer of Verlander wouldn't have been good in CC's place. But we'll never know, because Cashman won't try to sign them.

The Yankees have fallen out of 1st place. At 41-27, they are half a game behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Eastern Division, although tied in the loss column. The Boston Red Sox are 6 games back, the Toronto Blue Jays 17 back, and the Baltimore Orioles 21. back. According to Baseball-Reference.com, the Yankees have a 73.7 percent chance to make the Playoffs, but only a 2.6 percent chance to win the World Series.

The series continues tonight: Green starts, followed by Cashman's bullpen musical chairs, against Reynaldo Lopez.