Opposing GMs are wasting cell-phone minutes when they ask Brian Cashman if Phillip Hughes is available.
“I have people asking about other players,” Cashman said of GMs looking to shake the Yankee tree.
“And they ask about him, too. I have no interest …
Let’s say some conversations are longer than others.” Cashman will never describe anybody untouchable, but Hughes, who turned 20 last week, is very close.
That doesn’t mean teams don’t ask about the righthander, who is 5-3 with a 2.94 ERA in 11 games for Trenton (Double-A) after dominating Single-A hitters.
As for getting help for his club that started last night a season-high four games behind the sizzling Red Sox, Cashman said the pool of available talent isn’t very deep.
“There isn’t a big population of quality to choose from,” Cashman said.
“Right now, there isn’t a bat or an arm available at the cost I like.” That figures to change before the July 31 trading deadline. Teams stuck in the mud who are driving a hard bargain today realize they must get something back for a veteran player who makes a lot of money or will be a free agent after the season.
While many believe the Yankees could use help in the rotation, bullpen and at the corner outfield spots, Cashman isn’t in a panic mode at any three areas.
Nor is he going to use losing Robinson Cano to the DL as a reason to over-pay for a bat.
“It’s not going to force me to do something I don’t want to do,” Cashman said of Cano’s hamstring injury, which added to the teams injured list after the wrist problems of Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield.
Keeping the talent pool shallow is the fact so many teams are still in the postseason hunt. Only eight of the 30 teams were out of first place or the wild card by double digits going into last night’s action.
As for bats, Philadelphia’s Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell are very available.
But not for Hughes.
Washington’s Alfonso Soriano will be moved before the deadline, but not for Hughes.
On the pitching front, the Giants are one game out of first in the NL West and not likely to deal Jason Schmidt while in the race.
The Marlins insist Dontrelle Willis won’t be moved, but we will see.
Ditto the Braves and Tim Hudson.
Whatever moves the Yankees make, and they always do something, it won’t involve Hughes, who is on a five-inning or 80pitch count leash because the Yankees don’t want to overwork him.