Paul Goldschmidt’s return to the St. Louis Cardinals was supposed to be a sentimental homecoming. Instead, it just became another reminder of how fragile the New York Yankees’ postseason looks. Because of his knee sprain, the former Cardinals MVP found himself sidelined for most of the Friday night opener at Busch Stadium. He was reduced to a late-inning defensive replacement, there to wave to the crowd who adored him.

Goldschmidt mentioned, “I knew we were coming here, and I would love to play… But if it was going to be an injury risk, I understand the big picture. I didn’t want to push it.”

For Aaron Boone, though, the picture now means making a $10.3 million call that could shake up the roster at such a fragile time. Now that Goldschmidt is probably shelved from his role, the Yankees could face a hole at first base. Cody Bellinger is an option for sure, but moving him weakens the outfield. Ben Rice is another name, though Austin Wells’s struggles behind the plate make that move complicated. And this is when a twist no one saw coming has presented itself.

The sudden availability of Nathaniel Lowe by Washington after him having a miserable season feels like the step Boone and Cashman might go with. At the Yankees Digest, they mentioned, “So it would make some sense for the Yankees to go after him (Lowe) just on the basis of, you know what, if this does work, it can’t hurt anyone. It’s a no-risk, high-reward move that could lead to us having some more help at the first base position while Paul Goldschmidt does get healthy, and he doesn’t have to rush back from that knee injury, which would be helpful as well. And look, again, it’s not a guarantee that it’s going to work, but it is a move that would be quite interesting.”

Now Lowe’s numbers are not great at all; he is slashing .216/.292/.373 with 16 homers. It screams decline, but his left-handed bat and his Silver Slugger pedigree do make him a low-risk, lower-prize option for the Bronx. Moreover, things can turn around when he joins a winning team, even though the New York Yankees are not looking like one now. It has happened with players before, and it can happen again.

Now this move would never be without controversy. Because fans expected Brian Cashman to land at the trade deadline, however, they were left disappointed. Now Boone can help his clubhouse by betting on a struggling veteran. But if they want to make it to the postseason and not miss it altogether, maybe a decision needs to be made. However, many other eyes are on Lowe, too—like the New York Mets. And if history says anything, the cross-town rivals love snatching the Yankee targets—so it remains to be seen what they will do.

Yankees’ Brian Cashman backs up Aaron Boone! 

For the New York Yankees, things have been ugly, bumpy, and overall not a vibe last month and even this month. The major brunt of the fingers was pointed not at the players, which is usually the case. Rather, all eyes are on Aaron Boone. The reason? His bias or his attitude, which fans were too soft with his players. A class example is him protecting Devin Williams, even when he was the one making errors. So you’d expect someone to notice that Boone’s not able to see clearly, right? No.

Well, it turns out the entire front office has turned a blind eye to Boone and him becoming soft on his players. Brian Cashman, in fact, made a case for Aaron Boone. While many feel Boone’s steady approach hurts the team, Cashman is not wavering in his support for Boone. He told the New York Post’s Greg Joyce, “The best he can. I don’t know how any manager, let alone a manager in a big market like New York, I’ve told him many times how he does the pre- and postgame (press conferences) and navigates that on a daily basis, that’s not easy. Takes a talent in its own right to try to walk through that without losing your cool or getting emotional or what have you. He’s stayed level-headed and even-keeled. He knows how tough this sport is.”

And while Aaron Boone’s critics even see his even-keeled demeanor as a setback, Cashman calls it an asset, surprisingly. “I know I couldn’t do that…I’d probably be creating more regretful comments along the way… it takes a certain character and abilities to manage a group of 26 guys, especially in a big market through difficult times.” Presently the things have just gotten better for the team from difficult. They had dropped seven of their first nine games this month but managed to win three of their last four.

The New York Yankees would be leaning on Boone to make sensible decisions. Do not make rash decisions, like pulling out players, when they are performing at their best and more. What do you think of Boone and his recent stretch at decision-making?