2022 Trade Deadline Rumors and trades

Someone more informed and smarter than me will have to answer your questions, because I cannot figure out the Yankees' braintrust.  Gallo to me was the wrong type of hitter for the Yankees to land last season, another all-or-nothing type, when the team needed more base hits and fewer strikeouts; however, Gallo was left-handed and was a gold glove outfielder who could play all three positions.  

Of course, this was at a time when Hicks was - again - injured, and Cashman had inexplicably created a roster of right-handed power hitters in a ball park made for left-handed prowess.  Besides Judge, no one the Yankees had in the clubhouse was an above average outfield defender (alas, even Gardy had lost steps), combine that with a third baseman playing shortstop (Urshela), a second baseman playing third (Odor), a second baseman playing first (LeMahieu), and a catcher who could not catch or hit (Sandwich), and a third baseman playing left field (Andujar) - it was the Cashman masterpiece.  

Outfield defense had been problematic for a while, as the Yankees attempted to find solutions in Mike Tauchman, Tim Locastro, Jonathan Davis, and Ender Inciarte.  The problem, as I saw it, was that when the Yankees called upon Greg Allen and Esteban Florial last season, they performed and brought some life and fresh legs to the team.  Instead of playing out two temporarily hot trump cards, Cashman folded, sending both back to AAA in favor of Jonathan Davis.  By the way, Allen was a switch hitter and Florial a lefty.  Davis, of course, was another right-handed batter.  Also, the Swiss Army knife defender Tyler Wade had finally began hitting and was actually hot, when the Yankees benched him.  He ended the season with a .354 OBP, lagging behind only Florial at .440, Greg Allen at .417, and Aaron Judge at .373.  Wade, by the way, is left-handed.

At the trade deadline this season, once Gallo was scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles, the Yankees were left with only one "true" centerfielder at the big league level in Aaron Hicks, who nevertheless had been moved to left field at times because Judge manned the position better defensively.    To me, Hicks had always been a fourth outfielder, especially when he had a cannon for an arm, before his injury last season.  His problem is one of the longest swings in MLB (and a lack of instincts for the game).  Florial was brought up this season for approximately eleven at bats during a numbers crunch, then sent back down, where he has been raking all season.  

Florial is in Pinstriped purgatory:  Cashman obviously does not believe in him, yet he likes him at AAA for depth because he has the arm to play right and the speed to play both centerfield and left at Yankee Stadium.  And, he's left-handed and can steal a base.  But, Locastro gets more opportunities because he can steal a base and has the speed to play all three outfield positions, even though he takes poor routes and doesn't have the arm Florial has.  And, Locastro is right-handed, which for some reason Cashman continues to ignore with half of all games played at the friendliest left-handed hitting park in MLB.  

Harrison Bader, if he is ever healthy enough, will likely take the place of Hicks in centerfield, which then nullifies Hicks' ability to switch hit.  Bader, of course, is right-handed.  One glimmer of hope:  Bader hits decidedly better on the road (.820 OPS) than he has at home (.634) for the St. Louis Cardinals, who drafted him in the third round from the University of Florida.  

In summation:  I have no effrossing clue.     

It's a legit concern, he has a 4.34 era on the road for his career, 3.23 at home as an Oakland Athletic. His WHIP, K/BB, K/9 are all worse on the road for his career.

www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=montafr02&year=Career&t=p

Per fangraphs, outside of his ERA this year on the road, tho it is only 26 IP, his road splits do include a 6.00 K/BB, a 1.15 whip. So there are some things to be positive about outside of the ERA. 

www.fangraphs.com/players/frankie-montas/14309/splits?position=P&season=2022

As I've said previously, Cashman's track record with pitching has hindered our chances in October for two decades. He doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. Another reason why letting Monty go didn't make much sense - need all the arms you can have come elimination time. 

I'm stunned they couldn't find any takers for Hick and Donaldson who combined have about 45 million left on their contracts. 

They probably could have if they would have eaten the money. Then they could have improved the team. If they want to win the WS, they need to make tough decisions…