We're not in the business of guessing what motivates people, so who knows what strategy the person who floated a Steven Matz-to-the-Yankees idea was employing.

But if the idea was to push Brian Cashman into overreacting to the injuries decimating the top end of his roster, it was never going to work.

Just as they always do when bitten by injuries, the Yankees are simply refusing to react to the losses of Luis Severino, James Paxton, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton by coming up with an impetuous trade.

It's not that the Yanks are above making a deal to fill a hole. But all of the names popping up as potential solutions this spring represent speculation, because teams are disinclined to trade in early March.

It's easy for us on the outside to cook up an idea that makes sense on paper. Inside the business, this is not the time to swing a deal. Matz? Jon Gray? Jeff Samardzija? None of it is real.

Speaking to reporters in Tampa Tuesday morning, Cashman made this very point about timing.

"I'd say closer to probably … two weeks or so if those things might start percolating a little bit, but more likely than not, there is not a real market available until after the June draft."

It's the same thing every year, when injuries occur early and fans and media pitch trade ideas. Teams have to remind us how rare deals are before July.

Add to that Cashman's history of holding his assets even when there is a clear need, and a deal becomes even less likely in the short term.

For example, according to multiple major league sources, a Matz trade would require a massive overpay by the Yanks. Cashman would need to part with a talented player who has years of control remaining, like Miguel Andujar, Clint Frazier, Deivi Garcia or Michael King.

Matz is a talented pitcher and positive clubhouse presence, perhaps undervalued by his own team. But no one in baseball would trade any of the above players for a mid-rotation arm with two years of control. The Mets would need the Yankees to act out of desperation, and the Yanks don't do that.

Anyway, Cashman denied calling the Mets about Matz in the first place.

"We have not talked to anybody," he said Tuesday. "So I can just tell you that we have not reached out to one club looking for anything."

Yankee fans: You're not getting a new player just yet. The team is going lean on its roster depth and new medical staff, help the wounded to heal, and refuse to let rivals push them into making a rash trade.

Popular in the Community

More from sny