MLB

Yankees GM not satisfied with division-leading roster

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Answering to ultra-demanding George Steinbrenner for years instilled a chip in Brian Cashman’s brain that it’s never safe to feel fulfilled.

And that chip has been chirping inside the GM’s head even as the Yankees sit atop the AL East standings and are riding a season-high four-game winning streak, which has been fueled by strong starting pitching and clutch hitting, going into tonight’s game against the Angels at Angel Stadium.

That the four wins followed two disheartening losses in Seattle where the Yankees flushed early leads put smiles on a lot of faces in uniform.

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Still, Cashman realizes the infant days of June aren’t the time to bask in the glow of holding a two-game lead over the Red Sox.

“I am happy with where we are in the standings, but we have strengths and weaknesses and it’s my job to shore up the weaknesses,” Cashman said yesterday. “You never feel satisfied.”

It might be a “glass is half empty” approach for a GM whose club has the second-best record (31-23) in the AL. However, Cashman is smart enough to acknowledge there are holes.

“I have work to do, but this is not the time of year to solve problems,” Cashman said.

There are two reasons for that. One, the only players being shopped this time of year are ones with diminishing skills and big contracts. Two, historically teams don’t dig into the trade market until after the draft, which starts Monday.

The rotation, for as good as Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon have been, has question marks beyond CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.

Though winning and being on top has offered the switch-hitter Jorge Posada some cover, he is no longer the DH against left-handed pitchers, has one hit in 22 at-bats (a pinch-hit double), has 36 strikeouts to 23 hits and is batting .169 (23-for-136).

Until the recent road trip, when Nick Swisher’s at-bats improved and he hit a big three-run homer Wednesday in Oakland, right field was a concern. He might still be, but six hits in 20 West Coast at-bats with two homers and four RBIs are a sign Swisher might be emerging from the season-long fog.

So, when the time arrives, what will Cashman work on?

With struggling Ivan Nova, tonight’s starter, and the histories as well as age factors concerning Garcia and Colon, starting pitching is likely the No. 1 area. Upgrading the lineup and adding a lefty reliever better than Boone Logan come next.

Starting pitching won’t come cheap. A small alternative to Nova, if he continues to be ineffective, is to promote Adam Warren from Triple-A or shifting Hector Noesi from the bullpen to the rotation. However, the Yankees usually make bigger splashes than that.

The Yankees and Astros don’t match, and some in the organization have reservations about acquiring right-hander Brett Myers even if there was a match.

Should the White Sox fall out of the AL Central race, they could shop starters Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd and Edwin Jackson. Lefty reliever Matt Thornton would draw interest.

As for upgrading the lineup, Carlos Beltran is a popular name. The Mets are going to deal him; will it be to the Yankees? Elevating stud catching prospect Jesus Montero to replace Posada is an option. When the Orioles drop out of the AL East race, they will listen on Vladimir Guerrero and the Yankees like the Twins’ Michael Cuddyer, a versatile player.