The Yankees did nothing at the trade deadline after GM Brian Cashman said he "knocked on all doors." And they're perfectly OK with that.
Manager Aaron Boone said Wedneday that "nothing changes here" in that the team's goals of a World Series haven't diminished because the suspected rotation help didn't come their way. In fact, as Boone looked around his clubhouse following a come-from-behind win over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday afternoon, he knew he has the group he already needs to win a title.
"Just in there celebrating a win with those guys, and looking around the room and knowing we got everything we need to be a championship club. We're ready to roll and move forward now," he said.
Boone's players second that claim.
Reliever Zack Britton has been playing against the Yankees his entire MLB career, starting in Baltimore with the Orioles. And though he may be a little biased now, he admits this Yankees squad is one that he has seen before in his playing days.
It's why he was confident enough to say his squad is better than any other in the MLB.
"I've played against the Yankees my whole career," Britton explained. "This is by far the best team I've seen them put together since I've been in the big leagues. So I think we got a really good shot with the guys in-house. Obviously we gotta play better than we have over the last few weeks. But if we do and guys pitch and hit to their potential, play defense to their potential, we're better than every team."
Even the Astros, Zack? They added three pitchers before the deadline, with Zack Greinke being the biggest surprise of them all. That rotation is now stacked at the top with Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole already their 1-2 punch.
Britton isn't sweating it, though. He knows from experience how the postseason can play out.
"I remember being in Baltimore playing the Detroit Tigers -- ALDS. We had to face [Max] Scherzer, Verlander, and David Price. Three consecutive Cy Young winners and we swept 'em. So we can do it anywhere. We're capable of that. This is a lot better team."
The one aspect of a team that the Yankees have showcased all season is depth. And another example of that depth at work was Austin Romine belting a go-ahead homer in the eighth to take the lead 4-3 yesterday.
Depth goes a long way in the postseason, and Romine knows this group now can step up whenever a big play needs to happen.
"Anytime we're down, it doesn't really matter. We know what we got in our dugout, we know what we're sending to the plate. We got all the confidence in the world."
Will the Yankees ramp up their play and make that hard postseason run despite lacking a big trade? Everyone from the front office to the bench players thinks so.
"You know what, let's go do it with the boys in our clubhouse right now," Romine said. "I'm all for it. Let's go do it."