Whether you’re a fan of the New York Yankees or not, a couple things are universally known about the organization: they’ve won a lot of World Series titles and normally do whatever it takes to win. The Bronx Bombers could have an impact on the Fall Classic again come October, but not because they’re participating in it.
Actually deciding to be a seller at the MLB trade deadline wasn’t the shocking part. Given their average play, it made sense for general manager Brian Cashman to trade Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller (among others) when their perceived value was high. However, helping the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians – two teams suffering through very long championship droughts – possibly get over the hump was a rather interesting twist.
It’s been a while since either of these organizations reached the pinnacle of the sport, but they each have reason to believe this is the year it comes to an end.
Heading into action on August 2, Cleveland has a 93.5 percent chance of playing postseason baseball for the first time since 2013, according to FanGraphs. Chicago’s chances of advancing to October for the second straight year currently stand at 99.7 percent. With regard to winning the World Series, the Indians (11.2 percent) and Cubs (19.3 percent) also own the highest odds in their respective leagues.
It seems as though a lot of things need to go wrong in order for them to not play for a title – something neither has done in quite some time. Just about everyone knows the Cubs haven’t won a World Series since 1908, but the Indians also haven’t been crowned champions since 1948.
It was fun to see the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets battle it out last year because neither team had won it all since the mid-80s. Imagine how cool it’d be to see the Cubs and Indians do the same thing this year? It’d be a matchup of historic proportions.
A few years ago, the thought of a matchup like this was a pipe dream. Now, it could actually happen and the Yankees were the ones to fuel those thoughts. Since these opportunities have come few and far between, everyone wanted to see what moves would be made in advance of the non-waiver trade deadline.
Cleveland and Chicago certainly didn’t disappoint and New York was more than happy to help. The relief market was full of options, but Chapman and Miller were undoubtedly two of the most elite ones available.
The Cubs struck first and paid a hefty price to get the guy they wanted:
FULL TRADE:
LHP Aroldis Chapman –> #Cubs
RHP Adam Warren, SS Gleyber Torres and OFs Billy McKinney & Rashad Crawford –> #Yankees
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 25, 2016
Meanwhile, it took the Indians a few more days before they gave up top prospects of their own to strengthen the bullpen:
Yankees expected to get Indians prospects Frazier and Sheffield and others in the trade for Andrew Miller.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 31, 2016
Did they pay too much? Probably, but these bold moves weren’t about simply reaching the playoffs. These moves happened with the expectation they’d help them win the World Series.
ESPN’s Buster Olney has said this on numerous occasions leading up to the deadline. It’s also why he went on record saying the Washington Nationals made a mistake by not doing what was necessary to land Chapman instead of “settling” for Mark Melancon.
We’re used to watching the Yankees overpay and make moves of this magnitude prior to a title run. And most of the time, the Cubs and Indians have been the types of teams New York would use to help accomplish such a goal. That “World Series or Bust” mentality has been synonymous with the Bronx Bombers for as long as we can remember.
Now? Times, they’re a-changing and everyone is switching roles in 2016.
That’s not to say these trades – along with dealing Ivan Nova and Carlos Beltran – weren’t necessary. A bunch of elite, young talent has been infused into New York’s farm system, which means the next run of dominant Yankee teams could be happening very soon.
Did the Cubs really need Chapman, though? If you just look at the stats, the answer is no:
The Cubs are 55-1 going into the 9th with lead, 53-1 going into 8th, 53-5 into 7th. The upside for *any* reliever add is limited.
— Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) July 25, 2016
What about Cleveland? Their bullpen has been OK this season – they rank 12th in baseball with a 3.65 team ERA and 17th with a 1.32 WHIP. Still, instead of doing whatever was necessary to upgrade the offense, they chose to upgrade the ‘pen with a versatile southpaw like Miller.
Instead of watching the Yankees beef up for yet another championship run, they helped two championship-starved organizations believe that having a parade in November finally doesn’t sound so crazy anymore.
But why give up a handful of top prospects for relief arms? The future is important to consider, but sometimes, the present outweighs those considerations when winning it all becomes a real possibility. And for teams like the Cubs and Indians, who haven’t tasted title-winning champagne in decades (or centuries), it’s worth the risk.
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