Brian Cashman Says Yankees 'Didn't Get Close' to Making Trade Deadline Deals

The Yankees were expected to be buyers at the trade deadline but instead decided to stay put.

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said the team "knocked on all doors" but had trouble finding fair offers with potential partners ahead of Wednesday's trade deadline.

Speaking to reporters after the deadline passed, Cashman explained why the Yankees failed to come away with a starter despite being previously linked to players like Tanner Roark, Trevor Bauer, Madison Bumgarner, Noah Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman, among others.

"My job is constantly trying to improve this club, and we've been doing it for a long time. We didn't get close to anything," Cashman said, per ESPN. "But we certainly knocked on all doors and had a lot of ideas and exchange of ideas with clubs in our effort to improve."

Cashman said he spoke with every team besides the Red Sox and had multiple conversations with Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. He didn't specify what points halted trade coversations but said the asking prices were too high.

"The best play was we did nothing. And we did nothing for a very good reason because we felt everything that was in front of me was really not obtainable on the associated costs," Cashman said. "And that's with understanding that as a buyer, you have to step up and pay. But these were prices that were making things way out of reach—way out of reach and way out of line."

While Cashman admitted he was "disappointed" that he couldn't add a starter, he emphasized that he was comfortable with what the Yankees have.

"I feel comfortable with walking away from everything that was in front of me because those weren't real opportunities as far as my conversations were going," Cashman said. "The fallback is to look in that room at the players we have and feel really good about those guys."

New York finished play on Wednesday in first place in the American Leage East with a 68–39 record.