New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said the team had conversations with the Detroit Tigers about Tarik Skubal and the Baltimore Orioles about Adley Rutschman but could not work out a deal before Monday's trade deadline. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Instead, the Yankees found other ways to bolster their roster. They added outfielder Heliot Ramos from the last-place San Francisco Giants in a three-player swap, a day after acquiring left-handed-hitting Luis García Jr. from the Washington Nationals for four pitchers.
Skubal went to the Dodgers on Sunday in a blockbuster trade for three prospects, and Rutschman was sent to the Red Sox for a package that included three of Boston's top prospects earlier Monday.
"We had many conversations with Baltimore but were unable to obviously meet the price," Cashman said in a video conference after the trade deadline passed. "So they did their business elsewhere and we kept grinding through it, but ultimately in the end of the day, there was no opportunity that existed that we felt good enough about to be able to push through on."
The Yankees had less of a need for Skubal because their rotation began Monday with a 3.46 ERA, but their catchers entered the series opener against the Cardinals hitting .188 with eight homers and 27 RBIs, which ranked 28th among the 30 big league teams.
"We talked to Detroit," Cashman said. "They set a high price and to be honest that was not something we were unable to get them off of what they said might work, but at the same time they were communicating that it also might not even win the day and then they kind of went silent, I think after they got what they were looking for."
García was in the lineup at first base and batting third after hitting a career-high .283 in his first season as a full-time first baseman with Washington. He hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning of a 13-7 loss.
García's average is the highest on the Yankees, who began Monday with a .232 average and hitting .219 in 53 games since.
