Let’s not kid ourselves: The Yankees’ wealth remains a blunt-force object. Any team that opens the season with a $203 million payroll – third in the majors behind the Red Sox and Cubs – deserves only so much praise for withstanding a wave of injuries, albeit a wave at the level of a tsunami.



And yet, the Yankees’ 24-16 record still ranks as one of the great surprises at the quarter-point, right next to the ascents of the Twins and Rays, the emergence of the Padres and the resilience of the Diamondbacks. After beating the Rays two of three at Tropicana Field over the weekend, the Yankees are a half-game back in the AL East with a patchwork roster featuring a number of players who were not exactly on the wish lists of a fan base that spent the offseason clamoring for Manny Machado or Bryce Harper.



Successful under-the-radar acquisitions are not a new development for Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, whose trade for shortstop Didi...