Hour 2: Michael's Opinion of Yankees Trade Deadline

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
You know when you're locked in, focused and fearless. Welcome to the WNBA. Your vision narrows. You can't look away. Every assist, every stop, every logo three. From beyond the logo.
Every did you see that moment?

**Dan Grasso** (0:17)
You bet.

**SPEAKER_1** (0:18)
What records are going to be broken this season? All of it, right here. Lock in. It's the WNBA on ESPN, all season long.

**SPEAKER_3** (0:31)
This is The Michael Kay Show Podcast.

**Michael Kay** (0:34)
I gotta get more Kay.

**SPEAKER_3** (0:35)
Listen live weekdays at 1 on the ESPN New York app and your smart speaker.

**Dan Grasso** (0:41)
It is The Michael Kay Show on ESPN New York, and you can also watch it on YouTube. Presented by the Parisman firm Dan Grasse hanging out with the air for another 60, then it's Don, Han, and Rosenberg. And the show's namesake has decided to join us today. And why wouldn't we want to get his thoughts, right? The Yankees making moves, maybe not making as many as their fans would like them to. You also have the call up of one George Lombard Jr., which happens tonight. And of course, it is Mr. Kay, who was nice enough to give us a holler this afternoon. Michael, how's vacation going?

**Michael Kay** (1:14)
Pretty nice. How you doing, Dan?

**Dan Grasso** (1:15)
I'm doing good. You tell me. First off, let me ask you this question. Deep down, knowing you the way I think I know you, are you rooting for George Lombard Jr.'s debut tonight and not exactly be one that we're going to remember because you're on vacation and not calling the game?

**Michael Kay** (1:33)
No, no. I'll be honest. I'm a little disappointed that I'm not calling the game.
But then I started to do the numbers, and I'm probably not going to be calling his last game because I might not be alive. So the fact that I don't call his first game, it's disappointing. Like, when Yejeter came up, I kind of thought, well, I'll be around for the end of it, and, Judge, I'll be around for the end of it. But the math doesn't quite match for me to be around for George Lombardi to be on this earth or still doing the job. But I am disappointed. And I'd love him to have a great day.

**Dan Grasso** (2:09)
I disagree with you because I think you're very much going to still be on this earth, and you're still going to be doing the games when his career is over. So what do you think of that?

**Michael Kay** (2:17)
Well, I mean, from your mouth to God's ears, but let's say you have a 20-year career. Do you really see me doing this at 85?

**Dan Grasso** (2:23)
I don't think he's having a 20-year career. I'm going to go out on a limb. The way Cashman's track record with these prospects, Michael, I say it, you didn't. I don't think he's playing 20 years. What do you think of that?

**Michael Kay** (2:33)
Well, there are a few to play 20, so maybe this is a shortstop that will be played 20

**Dan Grasso** (2:37)
Unfortunately, that was Gene Michael, though, not Brian Cashman. Anyway, let's get to what the Yankees did do here. Luis Garcia Jr., first and foremost, the big bat that the Yankee fans were hoping for. Your thoughts on his addition to what's already a crowded, left-handed, first baseman slash DH kind of position that they have?

**Michael Kay** (2:57)
Well, it's not a perfect fit, Dan. It's just not. You know, he led the National League in slugs, so what you did was you went out and got a good hitter.
The perfect acquisition would have been a big right-handed bat that led the National League in slugs, but since there wasn't a lot of that available, they did the thing that they had to do because they haven't been able to score. I mean, if you look at the fact that it was 6-4 on that road trip, and they got unbelievable pitching, and they could have been 8-2 if they scored any kind of runs at all. So they needed to get some run production in the lineup. So getting this guy who can play second base, I don't think he's a great second baseman, but Dan, if he's a second baseman and then you don't restart in jazz, well, there's your answer for next year if you're thinking like that anyway.
I just think they needed a bat, so this is a guy who has over 80 runs batted in. He can hit some home runs he did yesterday, so being what it was, it's an addition that they needed. It's not the perfect fit.