MINNEAPOLIS _ Brian Cashman went 2 for 2 in this respect:
He made a significant deal that, on the surface at least, very much improves his team, perhaps making it a contender a year ahead of schedule.
And the Yankees GM did it without sacrificing any of his organization's top prospects.
"We want to maximize the present but not at the expense of the future," Cashman said early Wednesday afternoon on a conference call. "We want to make sure that our future is as bright as we think it can be and it remains that way."
Cashman completed a seven-player deal late Tuesday night, acquiring power relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle and third baseman Todd Frazier, who also can play first.
The Yankees sent Tyler Clippard to the White Sox, as well as outfielder Blake Rutherford, the Yankees' first-round pick in 2016, lefty Ian Clarkin, a No. 1 pick in 2013, and minor-league outfielder Tito Polo.
Cashman continues to engage the marketplace for starting pitching but is taking the same approach regarding prospects.
"I still think we want to be careful buyers as we walk this line of trying to maximize the present as well as protect the future," he said.
Only Rutherford is considered a high-end prospect, and many talent evaluators, including some with the Yankees, see Estevan Florial as a better prospect anyway.
In the immediate future, Cashman felt he addressed two areas of weakness. The bullpen, which collectively has struggled for the past month, and first base, a black hole pretty much all season.
"I think it's a pretty substantial deal for us," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Wednesday morning at Target Field, a couple of hours before the Yankees went for a series victory against the Twins. "Because of getting another power bat and also getting two short-inning guys that can make our bullpen really versatile. Just gives us a lot of depth."
Cashman said Girardi can "deploy" Headley and Frazier however he sees fit. Both have been primarily third basemen in their careers but are capable of playing first.
Frazier, a 31-year-old native of Point Pleasant, N.J., has started 719 games at third and 82 at first. Though Girardi didn't say it, there are hints Frazier, who has a .207/.328/.432 slash line with 16 homers and 44 RBIs, will get most of the time at third and the switch-hitting Chase Headley could become a platoon option at first.
"We have," Girardi said of internal discussions about how to handle Frazier and Headley, "but I think it's only fair that I talk to the players first before announcing what our plans are."
Late Tuesday night Headley, though limited in his experience at first, said he would be willing to play there.
"I wouldn't have any problem going over there," he said. "I'm more than happy to do whatever makes the team better."
Girardi said how he slots his relievers is still up in the air, but it seems the bullpen is now an embarrassment of riches.
Robertson, 32, a former Yankee who saved 39 games after taking over for the retired Mariano Rivera in 2014 and then signed a four-year, $46 million free agent deal with the White Sox, has 13 saves and a 2.70 ERA this season. The 27-year-old Kahnle, whom the Yankees lost in the Rule 5 draft in 2013, has a 2.50 ERA in 37 games, with 60 strikeouts and seven walks.
"I feel like the parts are pretty interchangeable down there so it gives us good depth," Girardi said. "I think Brian (Cashman) and his staff did a tremendous job adding to this club."
Cashman knows better than to assume anything.
"Hopefully we're in a better position today than we were yesterday," Cashman said. "We think we are but I'm not going to promise anybody anything. I'm just going to promise that we're going to continue to try and improve this team. The effort we completed last night is one example of that but it doesn't matter what I say, it matters what we do."
