Kevin Baker's book is here!

Kevin Baker's book is here!
"... an exemplary sports book..." Kirkus Reviews

Friday, November 14, 2014

The unnamed "one baseball executive" has given Yankee fans a strategy for 2015

GO AHEAD, BRIAN CASHMAN! BREAK THE INTERNET!

Well, he tried. He traded Francisco Cervelli. By my count, that added at least 20 clicks - the entire Pittsburgh Pirates' fan base - to this week's IIH traffic.

And yesterday, Cashman told Mark Feinsand - he of the old Daily News Fifth - that Cash is honkin' proud of his gritty work week.

"This felt busier than past meetings I’ve participated in,” Cashman said. “I feel we’ve got a few things already done. We got Chris Young just before we got out here. We got a valuable addition to our bullpen, we think. And we have some irons in the fire that we’ll continue to stoke.”

Irons in the fire... chickens in the pot... ducks on the pond... that's a fine kettle of fish, it truly be! 

Feinsand also quotes "one baseball executive" who says the Yankees might "lie in the weeds" before "jumping into the fray." Back in the old newsroom, anonymous quotes often were known to emanate from the same guy who is quoted, when he simply goes off the record. Feinsand wouldn't be doing anything illegal. Cashman is "one baseball executive," and Feinsand doesn't claim it's a rival exec. It's a little slight of hand, but if you get an alpha source like Cashman on the line, and he says, "Don't quote me here, but..." you want to get the biggest bang for your call back - well, it's been known to happen. Readers think you feverishly worked the phones. And you don't burn the source. Everybody wins! And the Internet doesn't get broken.

So - not accusing Feinsand of anything - but this is what "one baseball exec" says about the Yankees front office. And it's the most interesting line in the story.

“It will probably depend on how their ticket sales are doing,” the exec said. “Don’t be surprised if their plan changes a month from now. It’s happened before.”

So there you have it, everybody.

If you're hoping for Hal Steinbrenner to open his wallet, don't buy tickets.

If you run out today to get good seats next May, be prepared to watch Chris Young in right field and Martin Prado playing both second and third base, simultaneously.

Heed the words of "one baseball executive:" If we are to have any hope of the Yankees signing a Cuban, or a Korean, or anybody who batted above .220 last year, DO NOT RUSH OUT AND BUY TICKETS.

Right now, I don't see Yankee fans camping out to see Chase Headley, or yet another chapter of Mark Teixeira's decline. If the Yankees want ducks on the pond, they need to sign somebody, or trade for somebody, and God help us if Cashman blows that deal.

He's right. It was a good week. The Yankees didn't do anything abominable.

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