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Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was unwilling to trade Adam Ottavino to the Boston Red Sox on Monday. He desperately wanted to trade the reliever for a pay break, but was hoping to strike a deal with another team to save $ 9 million on this season’s luxury tax cutoff.
Any other team.
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Cashman hunted down and received a business offer from someone else before making one of the most surprising deals in his nearly quarter of a century as general manager Ottavino and throwing prospect Frank German to the Red Sox. for future considerations.
Why Boston?
Cashman explained on Friday:
“I finally needed flexibility. I preferred that the Boston Red Sox weren’t able to provide that flexibility, but it came down to two organizations I was working with in the end.
“The opportunity to give myself the flexibility to pursue other options, or several other options, I was going to have to attach a prospect to do that. The prospect of going to Boston was a lesser version than the prospect demand I had to go elsewhere, so that pushed me into the Red Sox.
It makes sense this winter because the Yankees and Red Sox are in a different place. The Yankees believe they can go and win the World Series this year, while the Red Sox, although barely three seasons before winning a title, are still in the process of rebuilding after finishing last in the AL East. last season with a 24-36 mark.
The Yankees and Red Sox’s first trade since September 2014, their second since 1997 and their sixth in the past 54 years was essentially a giveaway for Boston, who gets a reliever who was one of the best in baseball two years ago. years before struggling last year. . Plus, Boston has a decent pitch prospect that could be a big leaguer by 2022 or 2023.
“I thought (Red Sox president of baseball operations) Chaim Bloom, that was a smart game on his part,” Cashman said. “He can import a player who will have a rebound year, I’m sure in Boston, because it’s difficult to judge a player on a shortened season. So Otto is better than what his numbers look like last year.
“The last thing I wanted to do was put it back in the hands of our competition, but ultimately I’m not afraid to do business with anyone if it serves whatever our goals are. So it was a payroll flexibility maneuver. “
After the pay cut, the Yanks replaced Ottavino by signing free agent reliever Darren O’Day on Wednesday to a one-year, $ 1.75 million contract with an option for 2022. The addition likely leaves them with some leverage. money to bring back free agent outfielder Brett Gardner and / or add someone before this year’s trade deadline.
“Judgment at the end of the day, for the Yankees, it offers the ability to use these finances for multiple purposes at the Major League level, as we try to win right now,” Cashman said. “The Boston Red Sox have a perspective for the future and they have a player who can compete in the present, which resolves their interest because they are going to try to compete now. And if that doesn’t work, they can trade (Ottavino) and bring another player somewhere else on the line. So I understand what Chaim Bloom was doing.
“I hope the Yankees fans understand why we are doing what we are doing … but I want to thank Ottavino for his efforts here.
Ottavino, 35, is a native New Yorker who has loved spending the last two seasons playing for the team he cheered on as a child. Signed by the Yanks for a three-year, $ 27 million contract two winters ago, Ottavino used his suppression slider to have a great first season in New York, as he posted a 1.90 ERA on 73 releases in 2019. He rolled a 5.89. ERA over 24 outings last year, but a sleeveless, six-point appearance killed his ERA.
Ottavino was pitching at Yankee Stadium when he was traded. This led to a meeting with Cashman, then manager Aaron Boone, who was also the stadium.
“He and I had the chance to speak,” Boone said. “It was a little weird, but I told him he was someone I have a lot of respect for. He did a great job for us. He was great in our clubhouse.
“He’s going to be tough on us, especially with a lot of our righties. I expect him to probably pitch a lot of games against us this year. Hope we can find a way to be successful against him.
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