After the contentious signing of Rafael Soriano, we’ve been left wondering if we’re seeing the regrowth of a riftin the Yankee organization. Last time, we heard of a New York faction of the organization, headed by GM Brian Cashman butting heads with a Tampa faction, headed up by ownership. The recent turn of events has seen a more public airing of grievances from Cash and, as we all know, Mr. Cashman is in the final season of his contract with the Yankees.
In my time following the Yankees with as much vigor as I do now–pretty much 2006 on–I’ve generally been a big fan of Brian Cashman’s. There are moves with which I probably disagreed, but most of the things he’s done have helped the team, especially in the last few years. Essentially, I’ve had almost no major problems with how Cashman has constructed his team. But after the process that led to the Soriano deal, I’m wondering if 2011 is going to be the last year we see Brian Cashman working for the New York Yankees.
I’m not going to begin speculating as to who could take over for Cashman since I have no idea who’ll want the job (or if it will actually be open), but part of my brain (/heart!) is preparing for a Cashman-less future. I do know, though, that I want the next non-Cashman GM to be like Cashman. What exactly that is I’m not sure I can define. Perhaps I want that for selfish reasons since it’s something I’d be used to. As an attention paying Yankee fan, Cashman is the only GM I’ve ever known and, as I said, I’ve been happy with his performance. I’d like him back for the next few years, but I’ll understand if he wants to leave.
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10 Responses to Anticipating the End of an Era
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TIQ IQ
You know, these Cashman/NYY rifts always seem to surface during Cashman’s contract years. Wonder if that’s not a coincidence.
I hope he is extended, Matt. His voiced attitudes are very right, most recently that of patience. The Yankees’ money power can be a source of locking in losers, unless caution is applied. Also looking for youth and good character, and the emphasis on minor league development. His accumulated knowledge of the character of this high dollar process, and the tendencies of the players and organizations is valuable experience.
Best move: retaining Phil, Joba and Ian v. Santana; worst: Boston panic resulting in Igawa.
Talk to Mets fans about having less-than-Cashman-like-GM’s and we’ll all be praying they give him a lifetime contract.
I think he’s been an OK GM, but nothing above average. He’s still the guy that wouldn’t trade Mendoza for Edmunds because “Mendoza is more valuable to this team”. He’s had quite a few clunkers in his time, but he’s had the convenience of the ‘Tampa faction’ getting the blame when the Womack-type players proved to be awful signings.
Him being average means we could do a lot worse, but we could do better.
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You might be right in anticipating Cash moving on, however, it would more likely be a desire for a new setting rather than the Soriano situation. Cash has endured greater interference than this, with much greater frequency in the past. Indeed, this is unusual within the last three years as opposed to the constant intrusions by not only management but also the league of Tampa advisors in yesteryear.
Cash is a cool professional that doesn’t seem to personalize the realities of being a major league GM. Worst case scenario is he allows all of us to blame Yank management for his departure, if he leaves, while we all ignore worse treatment having no affect on him in the past. Best case scenario, he does as he has done in the past, re-ups and stays thick-skinned and the best GM for the Yanks. Of course, he could still leave and let us know it really was just time to move on. I ignore the worst case scenario as there is there is no reason to buy into it, hope for the best case scenario and fear for the last scenario.
Hey Cashman shut up and do your job. You whiner the reason why they usurped your power because you were not getting things done. BTW next time you havea choice betwen Daniel Bard and IPK take BARD!!!!!!!
Kennedy had a better WAR last year than Bard has had in the past 2 years combined and Curtis Granderson (who we received in the Kennedy trade) had a better WAR than either of the two. Drafting isn’t a science and it’s a lot easier to use hindsight and say we should have taken this guy at this time but doing it in the heat of the moment is what makes you a GM.
Cashman has no better than average instincts for evaluating players and making trades. What makes him extraordinary in my eyes is his ability to restrain the worst tendencies of the Steinbrenner family. The Yankees’ current farm system is stacked, and that is the result of Cashman’s control over the team in recent years—his emphasis on drafting high-upside prospects and not trading them away. The upcoming season may be a difficult one for the Yankees, but I’m confident that, by August, two young pitchers (Brackman and Noesi perhaps) will have proved reliable starters, and the Jesus will be in the everyday lineup. And that rocks.
Cashman is one of the top tier GM’s of the game (don’t think so? go and look at the GM of every other team…).
That said, if he does leave, I will be all over the Damon Oppenheimer bandwagon.