Exclusive: Nick Swisher talks Yankees’ World Series Chances, Chasing the Dodgers

By D.J. Siddiqi

Nick Swisher played for a lot of teams over the course of his MLB career, but he's best remembered for his stint with the New York Yankees.

It was during Swisher's four years in New York (2009-2012) where he won his lone World Series title and clinched an All-Star bid. He recently took part in the Yankees' Old Timers Day alongside other greats such as Mariano Rivera during the team's recent weekend series against the Atlanta Braves.

Swisher took the time to sit down for a one-on-one interview to talk about multiple topics, including what it'll take for the Yankees to win the World Series this year, their trade deadline decisions, why the Dodgers bug him and more.

Q: You did the Old Timers Day recently with the Yankees. Talk about that experience, man, getting together with all the legends.

Swisher: “Oh, bro, the best. Ever since I got to experience Old Timers Day for the first time back in 2009, and I’ve had three boxes of baseballs by my locker every Old Timers Day because I just wanted to get the autographs. I wanted to spend time with them. I wanted to meet the men who made the New York Yankees the organization they are today. These men are the legends of our organization. The Tino Martinezes, the Jorge Posadas. Andy Pettitte. You know, Lee Mazzilli was there.

“I feel like there's just so many names that come on. We've lost a lot of people over the last handful of years, but I think just in general, the way the Yankees do Alumni Weekend or Old Timers Day weekend, it's one of the best weekends of the year.

“Plus, the boys are on fire right now, two in a row against the National League East leading Atlanta Braves. Man, it's nice to see the boys showing up, especially right now with all of our guys banged up. We got a third of our lineups on the IL right now. All of our power hitters are down, so I think just in general, the fact that we're still staying afloat just goes to show you the depth that we have, as well as the strength of our starting staff.”

Q: Obviously, you brought up all the injuries. The Yankees have been ravaged by injuries, but yet New York is still second in the AL East, right behind the Rays. Do you think that this team can win the division by the end of the year?

Swisher: “Yeah, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter if you win the division or not. The MLB playoffs are like the NBA playoffs, bro. It's like everybody gets in now, so it doesn't even matter if you win the division or not. Do you want home field advantage? Sure, but I think in the situation that we are right now, we just gotta get ourselves in. The American League is not very strong. We don't have a dominant American League that we have had in the past handful of years. The National League is where the thunder lies right now.

“We know that we've got all of our horses in the stable ready to come out and race again. It's just a matter of time when we get them back. I was in the locker room today with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Cody Bellinger, Carlos Rodon. Just all four of those guys. I mean, they're a huge part of our team, and all of those guys are banged up right now.

“When those guys come back, it's almost going to be like we had a second trade deadline a little later in the season, and with what (GM Brian) Cashman did, bringing over (Luis) Garcia, what a season he's been having for the Nationals. To be able to bring that bat over to our lineup, I think is amazing. He's had one hell of a season so far, and I expect him to continue the same.”

Q: What was your assessment of the trade deadline moves? Obviously, some Yankees fans wanted bigger names or more names, maybe a catcher. They did get Luis Garcia Jr. like you said. But what was your overall assessment of that?

Swisher: “Great. I mean, listen. One thing I've always known from being a special advisor with the New York Yankees for the last nine years is putting together a bullpen is Brian Cashman's strength. Even though we didn't get anybody big at the deadline like that, there's still time to be able to get guys. And he's always done a tremendous job of putting together a great bullpen. The one thing that I think that we really need to bank on is our starting staff. That's where that's where a lot of our money is. That's where a lot of the strength of our staff is.

“Having the ability to have four quality starters going into the playoffs, then all of a sudden you have the ability to move someone like a Ryan Weathers to the bullpen. You have the ability to move a Will Warren to the bullpen if needed, because having those swing-and-miss guys there, early part of the bullpen, back end of the bullpen. However (manager Aaron) Boone decides to use those guys, we got a lot of guys with a lot of skills that are coming back, and if we can continue to keep ourselves afloat with where we are right now, the end of the season looks very good for us in my mind.”

Q: Do you think the key is because of all those injuries, all these names — Bellinger, Judge, Stanton — it's a matter of if the Yankees get healthy, they have the best lineup in the AL, they have the best roster in the AL, that they should make it to the World Series.

Swisher: “A lot of things have to go right to get yourself to the World Series. There's no doubt. Look at the almighty Dodgers right now, going through kind of the stretch that they're going through. They're two-time back-to-back World Series champs, and yet they went out and got the best closer in the game, went out and got the best starting pitcher in the game, added one of the best outfielders in the game. They constantly continue to keep making their roster better, and so I think just in general, I'm really excited to see what happens in the CBA come next year, just seeing where all the contracts are going to go.

“Is there going to be a floor in play? Will there be a cap put in place? I'm not quite sure that's going to happen, but I think just in general, the game has never been in a better spot. One of the things that I think people really need to start realizing about this playoff system is it's not the playoffs; it's a tournament. That's the one thing that I think people need to realize that you're not playing to beat all the teams, you're playing to win a series, and that's it. And then move on to the next series.

“That's one of the things I think the Dodgers have done a tremendous job of over the last couple years is playing each series for the series. You're not trying to win 11 games all at once. You're trying to win one game at a time. And just with the overall talent they have and the approach that they have to playing it almost as a tournament style is one of the things that I think a lot of other teams are going to really start paying attention to.”

Q: You broke it down really well, Nick. As far as the Dodgers are concerned and whatnot, who is the biggest threat to LA right now, overall, in your opinion.

Swisher: “Well, I don't know, man. I think just in today's game, I was actually thinking about this last night, just in the National League itself, seems like the word toughness is coming back. If you look at two of the toughest managers we probably have in the National League, being Pat Murphy with Milwaukee and Walt Weiss with Atlanta, it's amazing to see what those teams are able to accomplish. Being able to bring that toughness back into the locker room for both of those teams, it's done wonders for Pat over there in Milwaukee. They've had a tremendous season. Just look at what happened to Milwaukee at the beginning of last season when they came in and played the Yankees, and we absolutely just waxed them. That was when the torpedo bats were huge, and everybody thought the Milwaukee Brewers were going to do nothing.

“Then they find themselves winning the NL Central, getting themselves into the playoffs and being a contender, and so I think just in general they've done a tremendous job of putting themselves on. When I think about you know the National League right now, I think of the Cubs, I think of the Braves, I think of Milwaukee. You've got so many little different teams that can provide a lot of different problems. But once again, anybody can beat anybody on any specific day. I think just with where we are, we just got to get ourselves in the playoffs in the American League because there's nobody in the American League that we can't beat.”

Q: Tarik Skubal, big move by the Dodgers. A lot of people complaining about that. You touched upon the CBA and the payroll. Do you think baseball is ever going to implement a salary cap, or is it fine the way that it is?

Swisher: “Obviously we're gonna find out, We're gonna find out through this negotiation process. One of the things that I kind of look at as being a former player, as well as now working in the commissioner's office, as well as working for the New York Yankees. I just think in general, it sounds like the players' association and the Commissioner's Office are speaking two completely different languages right now, and I think just with where we are, there's a lot of give and take that's going to have to happen for us to get the start of the season next year.

“I just think with what the Dodgers are doing and kind of putting together a super team, one thing I do know about (Tarik) Skubal is he will not be signing a long-term extension with the Dodgers because that's not what Scott Boras does. He takes his guys to the market. By the way, I wouldn't be surprised if I saw Skubal in Detroit next year, just because at the end of the day, he loves that place. He's a rental right now, and Detroit got a lot for bringing him over. It wouldn't surprise me if you see him back in Detroit again. If they have the money, he'll be there.

“I just think in general, with what the Dodgers are doing, man, they have created a super team, and they are the team to beat. It bothers the s*** out of me because we used to be the team to beat, and now they are. So tides have turned. We just need to get ourselves back to that glory land, man. Because it's been since '09 since we won this thing, baby, and we need to party with these young thundercats, man, because they have never seen us party before. They see what the Knicks can do, but when the Yankees win, bro, it's a whole different level.”

Q: What are you doing with Angry Orchard and the underdog rec softball team?

Swisher: “Yeah, I think one of the coolest things is being able to team up with Angry Orchard is at this moment, everybody invests in the winners. The one thing I love about Angry Orchard is they're investing in the underdog. For me to be able to be out here today with the Sons of Pitches, a 1-23 team to be able to come out here and help them get their second win of the season, bro. That's what I was here to do, man. There's a lot of fun and frustration, the whole nine, but I think just in general, just to be able to be part of all this, man, it's awesome.”