For all the Yankee’s struggles this season, Cashman has done a solid job of acquiring talent via trade to try and win now. Xavier Nady has been a great addition and Pudge was necessary. Marte has disappointed, but he still has potential.
Sure, Jeff Karstens is pitching well over in the JV, but he was never going to be anything more than a 6th starter to the Yankees. It seems unlikely that Tabata will ever become the player that Nady is now. Ohlendorf and McCutcheon could be useful arms but the Yankee system has many like them.
As for Farnsworth, yeah the bullpen hasn’t been good without him but he’s been terrible as well. And let’s face it: it’s much harder to find a catcher than a bullpen guy.
In both trades the Yankees traded a commodity that was easily expendable for a glaring need. That is the definition of a good trade, is it not?
Cashman has quite simply done everything he could to improve his team without mortgaging its future.