Justin Smoak

Yankees' Steinbrenner defends team's lack of moves at deadline

Published Aug. 13, 2015 12:55 a.m. ET

foxsports

At the trade deadline in the AL East, the Toronto Blue Jays made a splash. The New York Yankees did not.

After Wednesday's games, the Jays had won nine straight, climbing to the top of the division, pushing aside the reeling Yanks.

Many criticized the Yankees front office for not addressing the team's needs, even after Toronto was dealing for aces and superstars.

Hal Steinbrenner defended the team's decision on Wednesday to the New York Post:

“I don’t think we kind of had the glaring need that you would address by giving up one of your Triple-A prospects. I just wasn’t going to do it. Especially not for a loaner, for a guy you’re going to have three months or so. It’s just not something we were going to consider.”

When asked if he was concerned about the 2015 team, Steinbrenner responded by saying that he things aren't as bad as many claim them to be:

“No, because I think our pitching is solid. Even if you look at the Blue Jays [series last weekend at Yankee Stadium], except for that one grand slam [Justin Smoak on Saturday], I think we contained a pretty explosive offense. I’m proud of our pitchers. You can’t win if you can’t score, obviously.

“The hitters are going through a little bit of a slump. I wonder if seeing two knuckleballers [Boston’s Steven Wright and Toronto’s R.A. Dickey] in three days, I wonder what that could do to a hitter’s everything — timing, all that. But it’s obviously more than that. You start pressing, start swinging at first pitches, becoming a little more impatient and all that.

“But what I saw [Tuesday] night was good. There were some hard-hit balls, and we came back, which is something we’ve done time and time again.”

Steinbrenner may have confidence in this team this season, but the Blue Jays are an offensive juggernaut poised to make the postseason for the first time since 1993.

(h/t New York Post)

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Justin Smoak

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