Gee willikers! Mr. Cohen let us have a pitcher!

 

In between telling all who would listen that he had "no regrets" about trading four good young pitchers for a one-year rental of Juan Soto, our Brian Cashman—the Edith Piaf of baseball—actually managed to sign a good southpaw! 

This could only have happened with the forbearance of Steve Cohen, for as the internet has been assuring us for weeks, Mr. Cohen had already pledged to go $50 million beyond whatever the Yankees' highest offer was.  If this is true—and of course it must be, it was on the internet—then I guess he must have a permanent veto on whoever any other team (and particularly the Yankees) decide to sign as a free agent.

I, for one, welcome our new Mets overlords, and just hope they let us sign an outfielder sometime, or maybe even an infielder.

All snark aside, this turn of events really does confirm what the Estimable Keefe has been saying, which is that the Yankees are operating with their very own salary cap, in what is not a salary-cap sport. Figuring out deferred salaries, handing over prized luxury boxes to those peon players...fuhgeddaboutit! All that might interfere with Cashie's charity rappelling work, dressed as an elf.

It is, in some ways, exactly the opposite of what Mad George (mostly) tried to do, chomping at the bit to sign free agents, even as MLB was trying to collude against the players (Of course, for all his supposed, rugged individualism, George did end up going along with the other owners.).  

Seems like it's a brave new world, though, for the Pride of Tampa and Edith. Me? Je ne regrette rien...