Cashman nails it: Yankees dodge the bullet called Gio Gonzalez

For much of the last 30 years, George Steinbrenner never met a sore-armed innings-eater that he couldn't live without. 

He saw Rick Rhoden in Pittsburgh and had to have him. So we traded Doug Drabek.

He saw Jeff Weaver in Detroit. Same story. We dealt away Ted Lilly and two others.

He saw Kevin Brown in LA. The itch returned. We traded three, including Jeff Weaver.

One rotten deal after another. Randy Johnson. Denny Nagle. Javy Vazquez. We traded future stars for those of other teams' past.

Not this time, though.

The Oakland A's go throw pitchers like nursing homes go through creamed corn, like Syracusans go through road salt, like Newt Gingrich goes through terminally ill wives: They squeeze out everything, then trade them before the rent comes due.

For Gonzalez, Oakland GM Billy Beane wanted Jesus Montero, Manny Baneulos and Dellin Betances. I would have punched him in the nose. Today, Cashman simply said no. We didn't trade the farm for a guy who's 26, going on 34. 

Merry Christmas? I'll take it.