Or, wait... what about Gerrit Cole, the reigning Cy Young? Whenever you see Cole in the dugout, he's discoursing on some existential matter. Last April, even while sidelined, his presence was central to the greatest Yankee spring in decades. This team should be Cole's, right?
Or - gulp - Aaron Boone? No matter how you feel about Boonie, he's still the pin-setter, still writes the lineup, still makes calls to the bullpen, even if they're not sponsored by Celino and the dead guy, Barnes. Every night, he records a fresh hostage video. This team should be Boone's right?
Hell, no. Why kid? The Yankees are the perennial plaything of Brian Cashman, 57, and young fans know no other reality. This has been Cashman's toy Hess truck since 1998, when he inherited the core from Bob Watson and Gene Michael. He's been with the Yankees since 1986, an intern, and he is the longest serving GM in team history. In late 2022, Cash signed a four-year contract. He's here until 2026, at least. Basically, Food Stamps Hal fills buckets with money, and Cashman hurls it at small fires.
This is Cashman's team, Cashman's toy, Cashman's curse and - like it or not - Cashman's legacy.
And today, that fate will be shaped for quite possibly the rest of our lives.
The Yankees are in a make-or-break season, most notably surrounding Juan Soto, who at some point next winter will decide whether he wants to be another Aaron Judge - the Yankee icon - or the next Robbie Cano, who chased the money. (I'd say he "jogged" after the money, but to be honest, contract talks were when he sprinted.)
If the Yankees win the division and something meaningful this October, it could help them pitch Soto for a long, popular NY career. That's the argument for making trades today: Bring in pitching and maybe another hitter, and sacrifice what few prospects we have on the farm.
But if we trade prospects and still fail - Cashman's fate in recent years - we might not only watch Soto walk next winter, but he could walk to the other side of NYC, while our once-future stars blossom in other uniforms.
Look... that was a nice win last night! Drop the balloons. Raise the testicles. Hooray for us. But but BUT... it don't matter, Jake. That's Chinatown. By 6 p.m. E.D.T., the Yankees - Cashman's id - will either be full-tilt chasing the AL East, without a safety net - or clutching our cards, playing for a wild card birth and a hot October.
Which is the best way to go? Honestly? I dunno. But I do know this: As the years go on, and Yank fans have nothing to show, I wonder how anyone can feel secure about Cashman's baseball acumen. He hires old-time GMs, but does he listen to them, or to the numbers-crunchers?
What happens today will dictate the future of the Yankees in my lifetime. Excuse me, if I puke.
Frankie Montas got traded yesterday and was all teary eyed about leaving Cincy. I was surprised The Intern didn't bring him back for the Javier Vasquez encore.
ReplyDeleteI just hope Cashman doesn't do something stupid.
ReplyDeleteI know, that's like asking scorpions not to sting. But just this one time, maybe. Do something smart or don't do anything.
As for Chisolm, it's only two games, and that second homer was against a position player throwing 62 mph. It'd be great if he turns out to be inspired by the trade here and starts playing up to his potential (the nuns at my old Catholic school were pleased by anyone who performed up to their potential and I will be, too).
But we still don't have a closer, we need a better starter or two, and middle relief could use a little shoring up.
Just don't do anything stupid, stupid.
My best guess is that Cashman will be prevented from doing anything foolish and rash because the other GMs will ask way too much for their players, thus saving him from himself. At least that's my hope.
ReplyDelete"Sure is quiet, Zeke."
ReplyDelete"Yeah. Too quiet."
And, as we all know Carl, it’s the hope that kills you.
ReplyDeleteAnd all know what The Intern is going to do, and we all know how this season is going to end. As Mrs. Gump once said: “Stupid is as stupid does,” and no one does stupid quite like our illustrious GM. He is a man grasping at straws who will lead our beloved Yankees to a quick and demoralizing exit in the playoffs.
That’s my boy Norton Nork, you’ve done it again.
Short answer: Don't bother doing anything.
ReplyDeleteThey aren't a player or two away from a championship. They are something like half a dozen upgrades away. And half a dozen trash cleanups, which as we all know Cashman absolutely never does.
They could've easily been in a much stronger position had Cashman done some of the work during last winter. But he does nothing except add a new piece here or there. He never gets rid of the trash. He never does what's necessary to put the team in a strong position to be a real contender.
It's always one step forward, and one step backwards. So as we noted, Cabrera had been playing very well. So what happens? We get Chisholm in here, and Cabrera is immediately benched.
ReplyDeleteHad Trevino not come up with that injury, Wells never would've got a chance to be the starting catcher. How's Wells looking now, eh? And figure that if and when Trevino comes back, Trevino will resume his catching duties 2 of every 3 games. Wells will ride the bench most of the time.
Please please! What's a little puking between the Commentariat?
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect, "h 'o' g" - we are only 4-5 more players away from a championship. 6 would be overkill. Your 6th uniformed Yankee to be lanced from the team could/would/should be our manager. Please continue with your day and as always - please plan accordingly . . .
ReplyDeleteWhen The Martian is ready to come up, they won't bring him up. Because there are too many great Hall of Fame players here. Where would he play? No place for The Martian because the roster is clogged with guys like Stanton, Vertigo, Torres, LeMahieu. All of those guys, in Cashman's tiny brain, are better and more important players than The Martian. I'd be surprised if The Martian comes up by 2028.
ReplyDeleteCarl has a valid point. Also, much of what we consider “tradable assets” has little value for other teams. Torres is an example. Even as a 2 month rental, what borderline contender would be so desperate to install him? One of the main failing features of the Yankee organization is there abiding belief that players will “bounce back”. This is nothing more than fingers crossed philosophy brought on by the fact that we have so many overpaid, aging players. There is no bounce back for LeMahieu. The idea behind his contract was to spread out 90M for salary tax purposes, knowing his play would deteriorate and he would have little to offer at the back end of the contract. Well, here we are. He is a sunk cost, will be paid no matter what, but continuing to play him is deleterious to the team. The only option is to release him.
ReplyDeleteVery true, Hammer. And Carl Weitz, that's my clinging hope, too! The Hippocratic Oath should apply to Cashman: "First, do no harm." And just as the team seems to be turning around! I know, I know: this is an illusion. They will prop up our hopes just long enough for another, monumental playoff collapse. Still—could it be that Austin Wells, at least, is a real hitter? I'm sure Cashie's already traded him.
ReplyDeleteYes, as I always say, time to pay the Piper! And last night, BaBoone pinch hits LeMahieu for Ben Rice. I don't care about lefty righty matchups there. They had the game in hand. Let Rice show what he can do against a lefty. It's called developing a player, Ba-Boone. That's why Ba-Boone has to be fired. Clueless Joe? This Ba-Boone is the dumbest jackass I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteHoss, I wouldn't be shocked if Austin Wells is traded. They don't seem to like him. Or Cabrera either. You know Cashman. If he doesn't like a guy, that guy's gonna get canned sooner or later. For maybe a bag of money or a guy with a broken foot.
ReplyDeleteI know. Idiotic to bench Cabrera, when The Gleyber is clearly the problem. He needs to go, and sadly, so does DJ. And PLEASE get rid of Flopsie Vertigo!
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Hammer—sadly.
ReplyDeleteLast night on SNY, they were saying that Tanner Scott was the guy the Yanks badly need to get, for the pen. I agree. But...
I very much wonder if, originally, Scott was SUPPOSED to come with Chisholm. Can someone remind me of what that deal was a couple years ago, when Cashie was also SUPPOSED to get someone else—I think it was with the Marlins, too—but the second part of the trade never came off?
Emergency meeting at the Yankee Boardroom, 0530 hours, military time, 30 July 2024:
ReplyDeleteHAL: That Austin Wells seems to be playing better and better. Looks like you made a mistake giving him a chance to be the starter.
HAL'S ACCOUNTING CREW: He's cleaning up from the cleanup slot. Developing. You know we can't have that here. We might win, might get to the World Series. What's that going to do to all the careful planning and plotting of our assets and liabilities that we've done all these years?
Boone: Sirs, I'll get right on it, sirs. Yes sirs, sirs, yes sirs. As soon as Trevino gets back, Wells will be back on the bench. I'll make sure he never gets a chance again, sirs.
Looked at that Montas deal again. He won 2 games in 2 years for us. We got Lou Trivino (not Trevino!) with him, as a bullpen fix. Trivino (not Trevino!) pitched decently in 25 games for us...and that was it. Been out since the end of 2022.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, though: what saves Cashie from being run out of town on a rail is that, as in so many of his deals, it's just trash for trash. Everybody he sent to Oakland in that deal has washed out, too. So it's all just bulldozed over in the landfill of memory.
Year after year we've had a logjam everywhere...it needs to stop now...
ReplyDeleteActually the dumbest thing Boone did yesterday was bat Jazz AFTER Stanton.
ReplyDeleteYou have the slowest man in all of sports, seriously there are Russian weight lifters that are faster, and you bat him ahead of one of the fastest. Good thing Stanton didn't get on until the end of the game. Because if Jazz hit one in the gap it would have been a 360 foot single and first and second.
Hoss, there were rumors that Cashman had a second trade with the Marlins for Pablo Lopez that never came off. https://yanksgoyard.com/2022/08/03/yankees-marlins-trick-brian-cashman-jordan-montgomery-trade/
ReplyDeleteCashman was supposedly shopping Gleyber Torres. Wanted too much for him, per the Marlins.
Is there any team out there that needs a second baseman? I'd move Torres for a low level pitching prospect. Then Chisholm slots in to 2B. Then Cabrera can play 3B. Release DJ LeMahieu.
Doug - I had nearly the exact series of thoughts when I read Boone's* starting lineup....
ReplyDelete*hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Incidentally, Hoss, I don't agree with the rumor in that article, that Cashman must have had another trade lined up and then got swindled at the last moment. Because I think he wanted to get Bader so bad that he just went ahead and did it. Bader would solve their CF problem, when he came back from the foot injury. And Bader would be a chip that they could use during the Judge contract negotiations. Which as we know came off superbly for the Yankees. And then Cashman got the big raise from HAL because he saved the Yankees about 90 mill in the Judge contract.
ReplyDeleteLater on, Cashman just dumped Bader, having got what he wanted out of him as a bargaining chip during the Judge contract negotiations. Bader was no longer particularly useful. So they gave away Montgomery for a guy who they eventually released. But they saved 90 mill and Cashman got a big new contract too. Was that effing brilliant or what? Machiavelli would've been proud: hey that Cashman, that's the way you do it, that's my boy prince!
More hilarity from Chief Keefe
ReplyDeleteMichael Kay: “This next Yankee was only in pinstripes for a short time. After being released by the Giants in March 2024, the last-place A’s gave up on him in June of that year, but the Yankees were waiting with open arms. He appeared in seven games as a Yankee, at times serving as the cleanup hitter and protection for Aaron Judge. He went 2-for-19 in those seven games with nine strikeouts, grounded into two double plays and posted a .385 OPS. Please welcome back, J.D. Davis!” (Stadium organ plays.)
If they deem The Martian healthy, I think Grisham goes in any trade inolving the Yankees. It almost has to or he goes to Scranton.
ReplyDelete@BTR...I'm waiting for next year when J.D. Davis will be the answer to the "Name The Yankee" question...FFS...
ReplyDelete