Not Giving Away Caleb Durbin Would Have Fixed The Yankees Infield

Here’s a painful little thought experiment for Yankee fans: what if Brian Cashman hadn’t shipped Caleb Durbin off in exchange for a closer the team didn’t even need? What if Devin Williams never put on pinstripes? What if the Yankees — radical idea incoming — actually addressed the part of their roster that needed fixing?

Not sure if you’ve noticed, but Caleb Durbin is thriving.

While the Yankees keep spinning its wheels trying to find someone to hold down third base without fumbling the bag, Caleb Durbin is over in Milwaukee quietly turning into the kind of infielder the Yankees dream about — solid, scrappy, and unbothered.

Durbin doesn’t make headlines. He just makes plays. He’s the type of player who grinds out at-bats, sprays the ball around the field, and runs like he’s trying to beat the MTA to the next stop. He had a moment earlier this year — remember May? Over a 10-game stretch, the guy hit .306, posted a .810 OPS, added five extra-base hits, knocked in eight runs, and stole three bags like it was nothing. High motor. High IQ. Low maintenance. And guess what? The breakout didn’t stop there. Over 75 games this season, Durbin’s slashing .265 with five homers, a growing reputation for clutch hitting, and contact skills this Yankees lineup would kill for. His July? A meaty .533 slugging percentage. With runners in scoring position? He’s posting an OPS of .843. Meanwhile, Yankee fans are still trying to figure out if their current third baseman even remembers how to square up a fastball.

And we haven’t even talked defense. Durbin has six defensive runs saved and an “Outs Above Average” metric that says: this guy belongs. At third base. Where the Yankees — if you haven’t noticed — are still desperately rotating bodies like it’s spring training.

So here’s the frustration: Cashman didn’t need a closer. He needed an infielder. The bullpen wasn’t broken. The infield? That’s been a patch job since Opening Day. Devin Williams may very well be elite again down the stretch, but he didn’t fix anything the Yankees couldn’t have managed internally. Meanwhile, Durbin would’ve actually solved a glaring issue.

And now, here comes the next curveball — rumors that Spencer Jones might be dangled to fix the same infield problem we could’ve solved by… not giving up Caleb Durbin in the first place. That’s galaxy-brain stuff. And not in a good way.

Let’s be clear — this isn’t a “fire Cashman” rant (yet). It’s just a plea for logic. The Yankees keep chasing shiny toys while neglecting basic needs. And those basic needs, like infield stability, are still biting them months later.

So no, I’m not saying I wish we never traded Caleb Durbin. I’m saying I wish Brian Cashman could recognize when he already had the solution in-house — before giving it away for something he didn’t actually need.

Because now, the Yankees are still hunting for an answer… and Caleb Durbin is over in Milwaukee looking like the answer they never realized they had.