Yankees GM Brian Cashman looking for areas to improve at trade deadline

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Brian Cashman didn’t tip his hand on his priorities in advance of the trade deadline at the end of the month.

But the longtime Yankees general manager didn’t have to.

It is no secret the Yankees internally for weeks have discussed the need for another strong bullpen option — and maybe more than one — in addition to canvassing the market for another bat, maybe two.

And that was a determination before veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo and DH Giancarlo Stanton, the latter in the midst of a rebound season, going down with injuries (Rizzo is expected to be out at least another month with a right forearm fracture and Stanton is out at least another two weeks with a left hamstring strain).

With the recent subpar performance of the rotation, the Yankees looking to bolster that area can’t be ruled out, either.

“We’re going to be open-minded to a lot of different things,” Cashman said Tuesday at Tropicana Field before his team, losers in 15 of their last 20 games coming into the day, started a three-game series against the Rays.

It is, of course, by definition any general manager’s job, in any sport, to be open-minded.

“I’m not going to point out anything specific, but we definitely have areas to improve upon and we’ll do our best to do so.”

The Yankees, as recently as June 14, had the best record in the majors at 50-22, good enough for a 3 1/2-game lead over the second-place Orioles in the AL East. Going into Tuesday the Yankees had not won a series in their last seven tries — the last series win coming June 10-13 at Kansas City when they took three of four from the Royals — and trailed the Orioles by three games.

“You’ve just got to fight through it,” Cashman said. “I think our guys are up that task, and we’re looking forward to us getting through it sooner than later, but it’s gone on certainly long enough for all of our tastes. We have really talented teams every day we’re facing so they’re not going to cut us a break. So we just have to figure our way through this ourselves, and then hopefully we can add some outside pieces that will benefit us at some point, too.”

More on Stanton

Before the game, Aaron Boone said Stanton, on the IL since June 23, has gradually been increasing his baseball activities.

When the Yankees return from the All-Star break at the end of next week, Boone said of Stanton: “I don’t expect him to be playing with us yet, but maybe getting to that point where he’s getting ready to play.”