Kevin Kernan

Kevin Kernan

MLB

Cashman must upgrade Yankees roster before it’s too late

Turns out that Masahiro Tanaka being called an idiot by Mike Napoli is the least of the Yankees problems.

They have a mound of woes to go along with everything else.

The Yankees were hoping to roll against the Red Sox after Vidal Nuno, of all people, beat them on Friday night and with Tanaka their ace going Saturday followed by Chase Whitley Sunday.

Instead, the worst possible scenario has taken place.

After being beaten 2-1 on Saturday the Yankees dug their own grave with eight walks Sunday night as the Red Sox pounded them, 8-5 at Yankee Stadium.

The clock has struck midnight for the Cinderella Men that were taking the mound for the Yankees, Whitley included, and now the Red Sox have new life in the AL East.

GM Brian Cashman has been trying to pull a trigger on a trade but now it has reached the desperation stage. Cashman must do something quickly and add at least one starter via the trade route or these Yankees are going nowhere.

Even though the Yankees broke the bank in the winter spending nearly a half billion dollars, it’s time for a midsummer makeover. The Yankees are only kidding themselves if they think they can win with this current roster.

The reality is that the Yankees are asking much too much of the Chase Whitleys of the baseball world.

“They don’t [have a track record],’’ manager Joe Girardi said, “but it’s an opportunity, but that’s how people start their careers with opportunities, a lot of time it’s with players going down that you get an opportunity and you have to take advantage of those opportunities, so no, I don’t think we are asking too much.’’

Yes, the injuries to CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova and Michael Pineda have created opportunity.

The Yankees came into the game 22nd in the majors in home runs with 66 and got a couple of long balls from Mark Teixeira, his 15th, and Carlos Beltran, who was buried in a 2-for-25 slump.

Beltran also doubled, but on a night the Yankees did everything wrong, Beltran was easily thrown out at home by Red Sox centerfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. when sent by third base coach Rob Thomson in the sixth inning.

The Yankees also gave the Red Sox a key run in the fifth when they allowed Daniel Nava to score from third base after Dustin Pedroia was picked off first and was caught in a rundown.

It was just another example of poor execution. Girardi did not have a good night either. His decision to bring in Shawn Kelley backfired in the three-run fifth for Boston as Kelley could not record an out, walking two and allowing one hit.

Lefty David Huff followed and had his own issues.

Girardi had to burn through Dellin Betances for two innings as he tried to keep the game close.

Things started going south for the Yankees on Saturday when Tanaka made the terrible decision to throw a two-strike fastball to Napoli in the ninth and Napoli lined the pitch into the right-field seats.

As he crossed home plate and started high-fiving teammates in the dugout Napoli twice proclaimed, “What an idiot!’’ in reference to Tanaka for not throwing a slider or split-fingered fastball.

The Yankees were not offended by Napoli’s actions, but they are rarely offended by anything.

The Yankees also would have happily settled for an outing such as Tanaka’s from their starter Sunday night but Whitley struggled for the second straight game and has allowed 13 runs over his last 7 ¹/₃ innings.

The front office has to make a trade to stop the bleeding. They also could use another hitter so Cashman, despite a winter of spending, still has major holes to plug, including finding a third baseman.

One night after Napoli did his damage, Whitley allowed David Ortiz to create havoc. He got Ortiz to hit into a double play in the first on a 3-0 pitch but was not quite as lucky the next time around as Ortiz connected on a three-run home run in the third.

Changes must be made by the Yankees and quickly.