Brian Cashman continues to look for ways to improve the Yankees' roster.
When healthy, New York’s lineup is one of the best in baseball. But, Cashman, the team’s longtime general manager, acquired slugger Edwin Encarnacion from the Mariners last weekend in exchange for prospect Juan Then and cash considerations.
Cashman explained why he made the trade during an interview Monday with the New York Post.
“Encarnacion can impact our roster in a significant way even though (offense was) not an area of weakness,” Cashman said. “It drives that level to an even higher level and it was not cost prohibitive, so we did it.
“Our job is to find ways to improve the club and there are many ways to do it.”
Welcome to the Bronx, Edwin Encarnación 🦜 pic.twitter.com/otLlulKZGO
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 17, 2019
New York demoted outfielder Clint Frazier to make room on the roster for Encarnacion, who has hit an American League leading 21 home runs in 2019.
Frazier is slashing .283/.330/.513 with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs in 53 games with New York this season.
“This is the reality of things,” Frazier told reporters about his demotion Sunday. “Guess I'm facing reality right now. It's a tough pill to swallow. It's never fun, especially with how much I've felt like I've contributed to this team.”
Clint Frazier: It’s a tough pill to swallow. It’s never fun, especially with how much I felt like I’ve contributed to the team this year. pic.twitter.com/V3lxQ9f5EQ
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 16, 2019
The Yankees have been decimated by injuries so far in 2019, however, they’re set to get some reinforcements back soon. Outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton both recently played in rehab games.
“There are a lot of inquiries if this was a chess move to set up an easier lane to trade Frazier,” Cashman said. “It was a simple roster improvement (to add Encarnacion). (Frazier) was going to Triple-A when our guys got healthy and there was no spot for him. He has impacted us in a positive way, we are happy with his progression.”
The Yankees are reportedly exploring the market for a starting pitcher and have already spoken with the Blue Jays about a potential deal for Marcus Stroman.
New York entered play Monday in first place of the AL East with a 43-27 record.