The Yankees’ 2024 trade deadline is looking more like a disaster and less like a masterclass as the days go by.

Cleveland Guardians v New York YankeesCleveland Guardians v New York Yankees / New York Yankees/GettyImages

The New York Yankees had a few big holes to fill at the trade deadline.

They needed some depth in their infield. Jazz Chisholm Jr. was acquired to do just that and when he’s been healthy, he’s been great. Chisholm is under team control for a few years, so even if he continues to miss time with his elbow injury, that trade looks good for New York.

It’s more so what Brian Cashman and the Yankees front office didn’t do that’s becoming the issue. They needed to add pitching and instead of going after a top starter and some elite bullpen arms, they opted to trade for Mark Leiter Jr. and Enyel De Los Santos.

Both guys could have fit in the bullpen, but they weren’t elite options like other contenders were looking at.

The Yankees bullpen has been falling apart, so let’s check in on how De Los Santos and Leiter are doing with New York

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Yankees trade deadline disasterclass on full display amidst bullpen struggles

De Los Santos is the obvious whiff here. Why? Because he has already been DFA’d. He made just five appearances for the Yankees, totaling 6.1 innings. In that limited time, he surrendered 10 earned runs on 13 hits while issuing three walks. The righty was somehow worth -0.6 WAR in just six innings.

Leiter has also struggled, though, not to the point that De Los Santos did. Leiter had been on a 7.2-inning streak where he hadn’t allowed a run when he was traded to the Bronx. He had 14 strikeouts and hadn’t surrendered a hit in that span.

Since being dealt to New York, Leiter has given up six earned runs in 8.1 innings. He was handed a blown save and a loss in the recent Little League Classic.

It’s safe to say that the Yankees did a terrible job at adding to their bullpen. It doesn’t help that Clay Holmes continues to give Yankees fans a heart attack each time that Aaron Boone trusts him with the game in his hands. There’s a reason that Yankees fans have given him the nickname “Cardiac” Clay Holmes and it’s not in the same sense as “Cardiac Kemba” was.

New York needed elite bullpen arms and another starter, but Brian Cashman didn’t do that. Now he’s watching his timidness blow up in his face.