As the 2016 trade deadline approached, it was clear that the Yankees were going nowhere fast. They sat at 44-46 after losing the first two games back from the All-Star break, 9.5 games behind the division-leading Orioles and also trailing Boston and Toronto. So they did what would have been considered unthinkable in prior years — they punted on the rest of the season and became sellers at the deadline.
It wasn’t just their position in the standings that motivated this decision. New York was in possession of the most coveted prize of the trade deadline: high-leverage relief.