Clinical Cashman's trade may bring micro-improvements, but it sure kills the buzz

Studying yesterday's non-blockbuster deal for infielder Brandon Drury, who can escape the sense that a bit of sizzle just vanished from the 2018 Yankees, even if the trade itself represents a crafty, wonky, lizard-like intelligence.  

Realistically, only in Disney movies do the Yankees start two rookie infielders on opening day. As simplistic, dumb-ass fans, we want Miguel Andujar and Glyber Torres to step in and become immediate stars, because it would almost guarantee us a generational dynasty. When a trade for a middling veteran bursts that bubble - last year, it was Chris Carter - who is not secretly disappointed? Opening Day now looks like an unveiling of two players all-too-well defined by "meh" careers - Drury at 2B and Jace "Chase?" Peterson at 3B. Who's on first. I Don't Know is on second. Who Gives a Shit is on third. Insert sigh here. Same old Yankees. Always go with the old guy. It's a wonder Aaron Judge isn't playing for Pittsburgh.

Still, I cannot fault Cashman for adding another micro-layer of depth. He's always looking to upgrade, even if in atomic-level increments. If Drury plays a solid 2B and hits .260, we escape the possibility that Glyber suffers a washout season (like Bird did last year.) A bird in the hand, right? Isn't that how it goes? Drury is fire insurance.

As an unrepentant prospect-hugger, I submit that anyone who remembers the Yankees of the 1980s understands the folly of gutting a farm system. If we learned anything from the 14-year barf, it's that you always need a multitude of prospects; you cannot assume your scouts will perpetually keep the right ones. Since last July, the Yankees have traded away a shit-ton of young talent. One of these days, we're going to pay a price.

In that regard, I'm sad to see Nick Solack go. He might just be The One That Got Away. Yesterday, we traded him - a firebrand with a huge offensive upside - for a roster chess piece. It's a trade that contending teams often make. If Glyber or Ronald Torreyes or Tyler Wade take over at 2B, Solack would have no path to the majors, like "Brigadoon" Refsnyder, doomed to appear once a year and vanish. But I can't escape the feeling Solack will be an all-star, an Ian Kinsler type, and we will rue the day we traded him for a coat-hanger. .

Also, I cannot shake the feeling today that Miguel Andujar will never play another inning for the Yankees. All the happy talk lately saying how he's made great strides in defense? It might as well have come from Russian bots. Come March 30, the Yankees will play the seasoning card and send him back to Scranton, where he hit .306 last year. They'll hand the position to Danny Espinosa or Peterson, figuring they'll go with defense. Depressed, Andujar will start slowly and be dealt at the deadline, because, after all, the future Yankee 3B is either Josh Donaldson or Manny Machado. There was never a path for Andujar, aside from in Disney movies. All that discussion about two rookies starting in the infield? We might as well have been talking about about life on Mars. 

The truth is, the Yankees are probably better today than they were yesterday. Ah, but it's not the same.