First and foremost I want to say that I fully realize that
deals can be made and are allowed outside of the Winter Meetings. Just because
the team didn’t get anyone of any significance doesn’t mean this is the team we
will see in April. With that said I wish I knew the plan that is going through
Brian Cashman’s head right now. Is the team rebuilding? Is the team just being
patient and (finally) fiscally responsible? Is Hal Steinbrenner handicapping
the Yankees and their GM? What’s the deal?
In less than 24 hours the Boston Red Sox acquired Rick
Porcello and Wade Miley along with signing Justin Masterson to a one year deal.
Boston unloaded Yoenis Cespedes to the Detroit Tigers to make that lineup
incredibly potent while many other teams in the American League continue to add
pieces while the Yankees sit idle. Boston, it’s worth adding, added three solid
pieces to their rotation for a combined $25 million while Jon Lester is going
to make more than that himself in 2015 making Ben Cherington look smarter and
smarter all the time.
I’m not a fair-weather fan and I’m not screaming that the
sky is falling but the team needed a starting pitcher or two before dealing
Shane Greene to the Tigers and New York walked away with none at the Winter
Meetings. Max Scherzer is still on the board but what perplexes me is the fact
that Cashman did not even make offers to the likes of Jon Lester, David
Robertson and Brandon McCarthy. Truth be told none of them were probably taking
a home town discount or any sort of discount but you don’t know until you try.
If the team is rebuilding, tell us, and if the team is ready
to build from within and rebuild on the fly then tell us that too. Signing
Andrew Miller to a lucrative four year deal and then building from within just
doesn’t make sense unless you’re a small market team. The New York Yankees are
not a small market team and they need to quit acting like it.
Daniel I couldn't agree with you more. I feel Cashman's inability to make a deal is a two fold answer. I do think Cashman is a 2nd tier GM and inept at making deals. I think he is ham strung from his inability to deal from the farm system which is his fault and I believe Hal is holding the purse strings down at this time as well.
ReplyDeleteWhat Hal needs to realize is that the Yankee fan is not your average run of the mill fan. We are as smart as they come and if he is going to put a team out there that can't compete we will stop showing up at the stadium, stop buying yankee gear and stop watching YES. All these combined affect the bottom line in money just like we did in 2012.
I read an article where in 2012 he was going to have to pay the luxury tax of $25 million so he didn't spend the money that year, well it was estimated they lost $85 million from all those things and more that I mentioned above. Don't tell us that the goal is WS or it was a failure of a season and put crap out on the field. We are too damn smart to know that the product they put out the last few years has been sub standard. Missing the playoffs three years in a row will not sit well with us fans.
If Cashman is holding the purse strings why is he calling Hal asking if he can make an offer to David Robertson? That's been reported and confirmed.
ReplyDeleteI do remember reading the same article in 2012 and I agree. Don't entertain me then I won't pay to watch and represent, hit them in the pocket. It's the only thing that works.