Brian Cashman's Yankees...

 

Brian Cashman (Photo Credit: Lucas Peltier/USA TODAY Sports)

Yankees GM for a quarter of a century…

Brian Cashman has been the general manager of the New York Yankees for twenty-five years. For many younger Yankee fans, he is the only GM they have ever known. For those of us who can remember life under George Steinbrenner, the GM role, like managers and pitching coaches, was a revolving door.

Cashman is a polarizing figure in the Yankees Universe. He is one of the most criticized individuals in the Yankees organization. Cashman certainly has more than his fair share of detractors. Joel Sherman of The New York Post wrote a good article this week in defense of Cashman. I will preface it by saying I know Sherman gets accused of peddling Yankees propaganda. Covering the Yankees puts food on Sherman’s table and buys him the comfort of a home and a luxurious lifestyle. By comparison, I could not buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks for the money I have earned writing about the Yankees. He is motivated to write stories that help him maintain access to important individuals in the Yankees hierarchy.

Sherman’s column included an interview with Brian Cashman’s chief lieutenant, Senior Vice President, and Assistant General Manager Jean Afterman. I understand an interview with a Cashman subordinate is not going to yield any negative comments about her boss.

I am not trying to defend Sherman (or Cashman), but I found Sherman’s words to be thought-provoking. I have been critical of Brian Cashman over the years. There is frustration with certain moves (or lack thereof). He lives a life in that every move is questioned and scrutinized with the power of hindsight. He has had his share of successes, yet they can easily be overlooked by the failures. 

In Sherman’s piece, Afterman describes Cashman as the Wizard of Oz if there actually was a wizard behind the curtains. He lives and breathes the job 24/7. In our lives, personal priorities, at times, can take precedence over the Yankees. Cashman lives a life where the Yankees take precedence over everything.  His passion and loyalty have endeared him to the Steinbrenner family. His consistency, work ethic, and leadership style have earned the respect and admiration of those who surround him.    

A great leader makes those around him (or her) better and Cashman carries those attributes. Unlike his father, Hal Steinbrenner has rewarded those who have faithfully served the organization and the Yankees tend to have very low turnover in the front office. Afterman, an attorney, has served the Yankees for over twenty years. She was hired to replace Kim Ng as assistant general manager. Some Yankees fans probably never realized that the current Miami Marlins general manager once worked for Brian Cashman.    

Afterman was asked about manager Aaron Boone and his perception as a puppet. She quickly dismissed the thought by describing Boone as an incredibly smart manager who understands the game and the clubhouse. She states that it is not Cashman’s nature to force his beliefs on the manager. Listening to Bret Boone’s podcasts over the years, I have heard him routinely describe his brother as the smartest guy in the family.  I do not believe the front office writes the lineup card or dictates which arms come out of the bullpen. Aaron Boone is his own man, and I do believe he makes his own decisions based on analytics and his knowledge and understanding of the game. 

I am guilty of calling for Boone’s head but I respect him. He holds a job that is only successful if you win championships, a feat he has never accomplished. Former Yankees manager Joe Girardi continues to get love for no other reason than he won the 2009 World Series.  No offense to Joe, but I have enjoyed Boone’s tenure more than the tense Binder Joe’s time in the hot seat.  Boone has the respect of the clubhouse, and he enjoys a good rapport with the media and the front office. 

Despite Brian Cashman’s contract expiration at the end of last season, there was never a chance he would leave the Yankees. The subsequent four-year contract, although seemingly delayed, was inevitable.  Afterman was asked if Cashman will walk away if he wins another championship. Her response was that he would walk away when the job was no longer enjoyable. General managers tend to have a short shelf life, yet Brian Cashman has endured. The Yankees win every year. Maybe not championships but they win games on the field more than they lose.  The Yankees will win a World Series again. All things considered, I am hopeful Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone are the men to see it through. 

I am not purposely trying to write this post in defense of Cashman or Boone. Regardless of how biased it may be, Sherman's column made me pause to appreciate both men.  As Yankees fans, we have an invested interest in their success.  Supporting them means we are supporting the Yankees. It serves no purpose to attack either man. One day, neither man will be employed by the Yankees. Until then, we should trust them to do their jobs. They are trying to win with the baseball team that matters the most to all of us.    

First pitch

It is almost game time for the Yankees. Their first Spring exhibition game is later today. They will be on the road at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida to face the Philadelphia Phillies (1:05 PM ET). I thought former Boston Red Sox reliever and current non-roster invitee Tyler Danish was going to start, but the latest lineup card posted by MLB’s Bryan Hoch shows Ryan Weber as the starter. He will be faced by former Yankees prospect Nick Nelson.

The big names like Aaron Judge will not make the trip but it will be a good opportunity to see future stars like Jasson Dominguez. Regulars Gleyber Torres and Harrison Bader are in the lineup, and so is my favorite shortstop-to-be-replaced Isiah Kiner-Falefa. 

(Photo Credit: Twitter via @BryanHoch)

The Yankees make their home debut at Steinbrenner Field tomorrow (Sunday, February 26) in a split-squad game against Lucas Luetge and the Atlanta Braves. The other split squad will be in Dunedin, Florida to play the Toronto Blue Jays.

The first few Spring games are always exciting to watch but by March, the games become a drag while impatiently waiting for Opening Day. Maybe this year is different with the World Baseball Classic even if only a few Yankees will be participating.

Roster Moves   

The Yankees have yet to make any roster changes since camp opened. They have three guys who will be moved to the 60-day Injured List (Luis Gil, Scott Effross, and Frankie Montas). They are eligible to be moved to the IL now, but they temporarily remain on the active 40-man roster. The last transactions made by the Yankees happened over two weeks ago when they activated Domingo German and Greg Weissert. 

Unless the Yankees make a trade, it seems possible one or more of the non-roster invitees might make the Opening Day roster. Of the pitchers, Ryan Weber appears to be the most likely to make it. Wilmer Difo, Willie Calhoun, and Rafael Ortega stand out as the strongest candidates among the hitters. Many fans would love for the Yankees to promote Anthony Volpe. I will not object if he makes the Opening Day roster, but I accept the expectation that he will start the year in Triple-A. Once Volpe gets a spot on the 40-man roster, it will be a long time until he relinquishes it (or at least we hope so). His time will come soon. If he tears it up for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as he did in the lower levels, it is a near certainty he will be in the Bronx by the All-Star Break.  Injuries can always accelerate the timetable. 

Rodón versus Gallo

It is interesting to see the contrasting views of these two players. One thrives for the spotlight and pressure, and the other runs from it. Earlier this week, Rodón spoke of the differences between playing for the Yankees and the San Francisco Giants. He said, “The fans [in New York] want to win. They care. They care a lot.” Conversely, he said, “Giants fans are invested, but not like in New York. Win or lose, you’re not going to get booed in San Francisco.”

Carlos Rodón (Photo Credit: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Rodón has taken heat from the Giants fan base for the comments, but Giants commentator and former Major Leaguer Mike Krukow came to Rodón’s defense. To paraphrase Krukow, he said fans in Philadelphia, Boston, and New York love the game, but they treat teams like their kids. San Francisco fans, on the other hand, treat the Giants players like their grandchildren. 

Regardless, Rodón’s words show he is up for the challenge of playing in front of baseball’s most passionate and demanding fans.

Meanwhile, there are guys like Joey Gallo who enjoy lesser pressurized environments. In an interview with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Gallo said, “I tried to handle it well. I took pride in the fact that I still played. I was still diving for the Yankees, running into walls for the Yankees, running hard for the Yankees. I knew I was getting traded. But I still had the pride, the integrity of the game, the respect for the fans, respect for the organization. I’m still going to go out here and bust my ass. I’m not going to just cash it in.” He went on to say, “The Minnesota market is different than the New York market. The Texas market is different than the New York market. I always just wanted to play baseball, have fun, hang out with the boys. That’s my goal, just to play baseball and win games. I don’t really like being more than that. I guess this is more my vibe, you know what I mean?”

Mental toughness defines champions. There was always a question if Gallo would thrive in New York. Sadly, he performed worse than anyone expected. It will be interesting to see if he can recapture what he had in Texas after underwhelming the fans in New York and Los Angeles. Rodón seems prepared to grab the bull by the horns and take New York by storm. 

Maybe the Analytics team should factor mental toughness into the equation when they are scouting for possible additions. Some guys can handle it, some guys cannot. It may not always be obvious who can or cannot make it, but there was nothing about Joey Gallo (or Isiah Kiner-Falefa for that matter) that screamed large market success. Rodón was born for New York. It is a huge difference.

Carlos Rodón (Photo Credit: Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post)

On a side note, if the Yankees’ season-opening series against the Giants was being played in San Francisco, would the fans boo or would they give him a polite golf clap.  Somehow, I suspect it would be the latter.

As always, Go Yankees!

MLB Fandom Lockout Continues...

  

MLB Owners & MLBPA continue to show disregard for its fans…

The MLB Owners and Players Association finally met this week in a ‘why bother?’ one-hour session. The fool in me had been hopeful the first meeting regarding core economics in over a month would yield some momentum for further talks. Silly me. Now the wait for the Players Association to counter which most likely will be as aggressive as the MLB Owners were conservative…meaning the two sides remain miles apart. No time frame has been given for the Players Association’s response. There is a threat Spring Training may not start on time, but a shortened Spring Training is probably very appealing to both the owners and players. Now, it feels like this labor dispute could drag into March and delay the start of the regular season.

I think both sides are damaging the reputation of the sport. Much has been discussed about appealing to younger fans to help continue to grow the fanbase. Yet, the current state of Major League Baseball shows young sports fans that football, basketball, and hockey are tremendous alternatives. If MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred wants to create a lasting legacy, he is on the wrong path. Hopefully, egos can be set aside, and cooler heads will prevail to bring meaningful negotiations soon. Maybe that is an overly optimistic view, but I cannot imagine the owners walking away from regular season gate receipts, especially after the trauma of the 2020 season. I do not understand the wait until the last minute. I understand each side wants to be the big winner but compromise for the sake of the game is more important. They can and will find common ground, but the question is when and at what cost to the fans.

We get this is a fight over our money. MLB Owners and Players, please remember this is not all about you. Get in a room, lock the door, and settle this…now.

Congratulations to Rachel Balkovec, the new manager for the Single-A Tampa Tarpons! This is a well-deserved promotion for Balkovec, who joined the Yankees in November 2019 as a minor league hitting instructor. I honestly wanted the Yankees to hire her as an assistant hitting coach for the big-league club, but this new role certainly befits the talented and industrious coach who is on her way to a bigger and brighter future in the Yankees organization.

Rachel Balkovec / Photo Credit: Yankees

Balkovec’s expressed goal is to be a general manager one day. I could easily see the Yankees eventually elevating her to assistant general manager. Jean Afterman is sixty-four and relocated a couple of years ago from New York to Sonoma, California. Balkovec is a possible replacement for the much-respected Afterman, when/if she decides it is time to enjoy the wonderful Napa Valley vineyards. Such an appointment could place Balkovec in line to eventually replace Brian Cashman. If not, it is a certainty in my mind that Rachel Balkovec will accomplish her goals through determination, perseverance, knowledge, and competitiveness. She wants to be a MLB general manager which means she will be a MLB general manager. For now, low level Yankee prospects will benefit greatly from an excellent teacher. I am glad she is on our side.

No word on a replacement for short-term Yankees assistant hitting coach Eric Chavez. The latest name mentioned is Eric Hinske, a brief one-time Yankee. His name excites me about as much as Mark Trumbo. In other words, not very much. Hinske served as assistant hitting instructor for several seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks until he was relieved of his duties in June 2021. I understand the need for a coach with Major League experience, a weakness in the current configuration of the Yankees coaching staff, but the Yankees can do better than Trumbo or Hinske. I like the idea of someone who has past ties to the organization but that is not a prerequisite. I want a coach who can team with hitting coach Dillon Lawson and assistant hitting coach Casey Dykes to provide a strong collaborative and synergetic trio to help make Yankee hitters better. I keep thinking Brett Gardner would be a formidable choice if the Yankees could convince him his playing days are over.

International Signing Day. For the Yankees, they are expected to sign top international prospect Roderick Arias. MLB’s Jesse Sanchez is reporting the Yankees have signed the young shortstop to a $4.0 million deal. The Yankees have not confirmed the signing. Per Sanchez, Arias has above-average bat-to-ball skills and strike zone awareness. He shows power from both sides of the plate with emphasis on the right side. Good opposite field power from the left side. Sanchez goes on to say the overall package could develop into a plus-plus hitter. Once the signing is confirmed, Arias will immediately be inserted into the Yankees’ current list of top ten prospects.

Roderick Arias

The presence of Arias and last year’s number one pick Trey Sweeney make it easier if the Yankees decide to include Oswald Peraza in a trade with the Oakland A’s to acquire first baseman Matt Olson. The Yankee still need more than a stopgap at short, but outside of Anthony Volpe or Jasson Dominguez, there is not much I would not give up to get Olson (although the argument can be easily made to simply part with money to sign Freddie Freeman). I remain on the bandwagon to sign either Carlos Correa or Trevor Story although their signings range from highly unlikely to mostly improbable. With no disrespect to the futures of Anthony Volpe or Peraza (if he is not traded), it will sicken me if the 2022 New York Yankees shortstop is Andrelton Simmons. If that is the case, I would rather have that Falafel dude from Texas. It does bother me that the Rangers thought so highly of Isiah Kiner-Falefa that they signed not one but two of the top free agent shortstops this off-season. I would prefer him over Simmons, but I do not think either guy would move the needle for improving the team.

More minor league free agent signings. I was a little surprised to see the Yankees have signed former top prospect LHP Manny Banuelos to a minor league deal (I know, Daniel, there is no such thing as a bad minor league deal). Manny has bounced around a few organizations since the Yankees traded him to Atlanta in 2015 (in the deal that brought Chasen Shreve to New York). In 2019, while a member of the Chicago White Sox, Banuelos gave up nine earned runs in one inning to the Boston Red Sox. After some time in China, he spent last season in the Mexican League. I would love to see Banuelos, now 30 years old, finally achieve success in the Major Leagues, even as a reliever, but let us just say that I am not optimistic.

Manuel Banuelos

The Yankees also signed former Red Sock Ryan Weber, 31-year-old RHP, to a minor league contract. In Weber’s last MLB appearance for the Red Sox on June 13, 2021, he gave up eleven runs in 5 2/3 innings. I see a common theme with both Banuelos and Weber. They have both been horrible for and against the Boston Red Sox.

Can Matt Blake and the Yankees minor league pitching instructors unlock potential in either arm? Doubtful but we will see. As they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I miss baseball.

As always, Go Yankees!

Dear Astros, Please STFU...

Someone, please, take out the trash…

I am tired of the Astros cheating scandal and I am ready to move on.

Borrowing from an old lawyer joke, how do you know when an Astros player is lying? His lips are moving.

After giving some praise to Carlos Correa in my last post, he subsequently opened his mouth in front of a camera in an interview with Ken Rosenthal and let the trash continue to spew. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has proven to be a very weak leader in the face of this adversity, and the entire ordeal, in my opinion, is a farce. 

The players will never admit to anything that is not in the Commissioner’s report and the Commissioner does not have the power his predecessors may have had. He’s basically an employee of the owners and there was no way Jim Crane, despite his role into turning the Astros into a trashy organization, was ever going to be implicated. He was given the perfect way out by making GM Jeffrey Luhnow and Manager A.J. Hinch the scapegoats when he fired them. 

I don’t want to belabor the issue. What’s done is done. The Commissioner has taken action, regardless of how we may feel was too light, and need to move on. The Astros players have had their time to talk but I wish they’d just shut their pie holes because no good is coming from their words. MLB needs to closely monitor teams to ensure this never happens again with the Astros, the Boston Red Sox or any other team in Major League Baseball. I am frustrated the Astros weren’t forced to vacate their fraudulently earned 2017 World Series championship but the time for proper penalty, unfortunately, has passed. 

There is word we’ll hear about the Red Sox investigation by the end of the week. Although the Sox were led to the 2018 World Series championship by Cheat Leader Alex Cora, I have yet to see anything that leads me to believe any possible violations by their organization were on par with the schemes in Houston. As such, I expect any penalties to be very light relative to the penalties received by the Astros.  It’s possible there will be revelations that we have not heard  and it may change the situation but at this point, I think the Red Sox disciplinary action will be minimal and fairly quiet compared to the experience of the last few weeks. I am not defending the Red Sox but conversely I am not going to crucify them without cause.

My greatest hope for the 2020 MLB season is the game is played honestly and ethically. Let the chips fall as they may. Maybe the Yankees win a championship, maybe they do not. But in the end, we can hopefully say no one was cheating behind the scenes to change the outcome. 

Moving on to other topics, it was announced today the Atlanta Braves promoted their GM, Alex Anthopoulos, to President of Baseball Operations. Not that I care about the Braves (although I have long respected Anthopoulos), the only point I raise by saying this is I continue to feel strongly the Yankees should do the same for GM Brian Cashman. As the long-tenured general manager for our favorite club, he is more deserving of the title of President of Baseball Operations than most of the guys who now hold it for their respective clubs.  Cash should be the President of Baseball Operations (or Executive Vice President, as long as he holds the top Baseball Operations position), and they should promote Tim Naehring to GM. I’d say Jean Afterman but I know that she has no interest in a greater role, particularly after her move to the Wine Country in Northern CA. That makes Naehring the next best candidate to step up. Perhaps you can say Cashman already holds the role despite his title and maybe that’s true. But for the optics, I’d like to see the title match the authority. I’ve been critical of Cashman at times, but there is no one more qualified to lead the baseball side of the house than him. Keep Randy Levine on the business side (or lock him in a closet, I don’t care). 

The Yankees announced this week they have signed former Colorado Rockies RHP Chad Bettis to a minor league contract with invitation to Spring Training. I was a little surprised. It’s not that I don’t think Bettis can pitch, I just feel the opportunity is better elsewhere. Then again, if you want to get noticed, play for the Yankees (even if it is only Spring Training). If he doesn’t make the Yankees, perhaps another team sees enough to reach out to him. 

Photo Credit: Chris Carlson, Associated Press

It’s easy to look at Chad’s 2019 numbers and scoff. Pitching mostly out of the bullpen, the former starter had a 1-6 record with 6.08 ERA in 63 2/3 innings. Those numbers won’t inspire confidence in anyone except opposing hitters, but Bettis has had a very hard road. Bettis, who will be 31 on April 26^th, was 14-8 with 4.79 ERA in 186 innings in 2016 before a diagnosis of testicular cancer which he successfully defeated. Last season, he was converted to the bullpen after three starts, and was one of the Rockies’ most effective relievers in May (tied a franchise record for five consecutive scoreless outings, pitching more than an inning in each appearance without yielding any runs despite calling Coors Field home). Subsequently, a right hip impingement that eventually became a torn labrum ended his season and resulted in bilateral surgery in late August. The Colorado Rockies subsequently cut him loose after the season.

Last fall, Bettis was quoted as saying, “I’m going to build up again to being the best reliever that I can possibly be”. I don’t know where his road in Pinstripes will lead but I know that I will be cheering for him. If he doesn’t make the Yankees, I hope another team sees value and brings him to their active MLB roster for the season. Life has dealt Bettis a difficult hand and yet he has continued to overcome the obstacles and I don’t see that stopping now. Here’s to you, Chad. Our wish for much success with your continued MLB journey!

I thought it was great Yankees ace Gerrit Cole received a standing ovation yesterday after throwing to live hitters for the first time this Spring yesterday. This is just a prelude to what we’ll experience when Cole takes the mound in real game action. Very exciting times in the Yankees Universe and suffice it to say we’re all very happy Gerrit Cole is a Yankee. I know, there will be a complete Yankee fan meltdown the first time Cole gives up a homer, but, man, I love our chances for October with Cole leading the charge.

Photo Credit: Twitter, via @ByKristieAckert 

I think James Paxton should keep the mustache. After his scruffy look in Seattle, I didn’t think the shaved version last season fit him very well.  While I am not generally a fan of “porn star” ‘staches, I think it gives the Big Maple some character and he should stay with it. 

Photo Credit: SNY

Sadly, the Yankees Universe lost a one-time member of the family when former Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Tony Fernandez, 57, died this past weekend. He fought polycystic kidney disease since 2017 and had suffered a stroke earlier this month. Fernandez played in 108 games for the Yankees in 1995. He was the starting shortstop entering Spring Training in 1996 when a broken elbow opened the door for Derek Jeter’s Hall of Fame career. Rest in Peace, Tony. Your time with us was too short but we are glad you are no longer in pain.

As always, Go Yankees!